(Don't) Fear the Reaper
by DirectorChurch
Summary: What will happen when a criminal is recruited into an academy designed to train warriors? Nothing good really. This is a story consisting mainly of my own characters. Any feedback is much appreciated. RWBY and its characters are property of Roosterteeth.
1. Chapter 1: New Beginnings

Ozpin sat at his desk, illuminated by the small lamp. The rest of the office was dark and the overcast night skies outside the window did help much. Various documents were scattered across his desk in an organized fashion, giving him a clear view of each one. He began signing one when the elevator across the room dinged, signaling someone's arrival. Once the doors had opened Glynda walked out with a specially marked scroll in hand and made her way over.

"Thank you, Glynda," Ozpin said as she handed him the scroll. He set it down on his desk, tapping the screen, making a few more documents appear.

"You should get some rest soon," she said, "We still have some important things to finalize for the next school year tomorrow."

"I appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine," he said with a smile. She sighed and shook her head. Ozpin had always been one to overwork himself but somehow managed to keep himself going. Maybe all that coffee he drinks.

"Alright, I will see you tomorrow then," Glynda said, making her way over to the elevator. She couldn't help but let herself smile, watching him work as the doors closed.

A virtual silence fell over the room after she left. The only sounds that could be heard were the soft beeps of the scroll and the occasional sip of coffee. Eventually, the soft sound of a crackling fire permeated the room, growing from a soft whisper. The Headmaster glanced around the room, suspicious of the sounds origins. He stood and grabbed his cane as little particles of ash emerged from the floor, floating around the room, the air becoming much colder. Suddenly the ash rushed into the middle of the room, forming the shape of a person. Once it had settled a woman stepped out, dressed in a tattered gray cloak and a skull-like mask with three eyes, light gleaming off its sharp teeth.

"Who are you," Ozpin asked. She said nothing as she reached up and removed the mask and hood.

"It's only me Oz," she said, her voice gentle and soft. The Headmaster studied her face for a moment wondering why she seemed familiar. Her blue eyes were kind, yet dark and sunken in, much like her cheeks. Her skin was sickly pale, almost white, which contrasted her raven hair and made the rounded scar above her left eye stand out. She couldn't have been much older than Glynda. His eyes widened as the realization hit him.

"Bla—"

"It's Amaura now… just Amaura," she said, sounding a bit sad, "I haven't deserved my old name in quite a long time." Ozpin stared at her for a moment, unable to hide his shock.

"I thought you were dead," he said, "how did you survive? Why have you been hiding all these years?" Amaura turned away from him, a sad expression on her face.

"I'm sorry I can't say," she said, "It's complicated."

"Might I ask your reason for being here then," he asked, "I'm getting the feeling this isn't a social visit."

"Yeah it's not," she said, pausing and taking a deep breath before continuing, "I know I have no right to ask this but… I need a favor."

"Anything for an old friend," he said without missing a beat. Amaura smiled warmly.

"Thank you," she said, pausing for a moment to choose her words carefully, "I need you to bring someone to Beacon as a student, a protégé of mine... He's very important to me."

"Is that all?" Ozpin asked, "Bla—… Amaura, I highly doubt that you would make the effort of coming back from the dead and out of hiding for a simple acceptance letter… Who is he?"

"It's The Reaper of Vale," she said after a long pause. Ozpin was mid sip when he froze, looking at her in surprise. It was a name he'd been familiar with ever since certain criminals had begun turning up dead over the course of the past year.

"You want me to bring a dangerous assassin to Beacon?"

"Like I said I know I have no right to ask you for something like this but—"

"Very well." Amaura looked at him a bit stunned, then chuckled a bit.

"I thought it would have taken more to convince you."

"Well, we've actually been monitoring him for a while now and we're well aware of who and what he is."

"He's headed down a dangerous path Oz. I couldn't live with myself if what happened to me happened to him." Ozpin glanced at the scar on her forehead, knowing what she meant. He walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I can assure you he'll be set on a better path here, as I said, anything for an old friend."

Amaura smiled and gave him a light hug. "Thank you so much." She let go and simply stood there for a moment, relieved that she'd gotten him to agree. "Here." She handed him a small black scroll, with a spade in place of the normal diamond shape. "This will allow you to track his location." She began to walk towards the large window at the back of the office.

"It was nice to see you again," Ozpin said, "for however brief a time." She glanced back at him as she put her mask back on, making him a bit uncomfortable.

"Likewise," she replied, "Oh, and Oz... if you could keep this little meeting and my identity between us, I'd really appreciate it."

"Of course," he said, "just know that if you should ever need somewhere to go, you're always welcome here."

Amaura nodded as her body began to dissolve into ash, floating through the window and disappearing into the night.

Ozpin watched her go, letting the questions and conflicting thoughts race in his head, sitting back down at his desk. On one hand he was happy to find out an old friend was alive and well, but on the other hand, she wasn't the woman he knew when they were younger. She was Amaura now, another name he'd become familiar with due to the myths and legends that had been spread through out Vale over the past decade or so. He shook his head deciding to put those thoughts away for the time being. The Headmaster grabbed his scroll and made a call.

"Qrow, I have a request," he said.

"Oz? Do you know what time it is," he asked, with a yawn.

"I'm aware and I apologize but this is rather important."

"So important that it can't wait till morning?"

"Yes, I need you to capture The Reaper."

Ozpin could hear him coughing as he presumably choked on a drink.

"You want me to what? Why?"

"I'd rather discuss the finer details in person."

"This is that important huh?... Fine, I'll be there as soon as I can, but you owe me."

The Headmaster sighed as Qrow hung up. He began debating whether or not to tell the huntsman about Amaura at all, pacing back and forth, knowing he was more than capable of keeping secrets. Ozpin kept his thoughts racing 'till he arrived, walking out of the elevator, weapon on his back, flask in hand. His normal suit-like attire and cape were a bit more tattered and dirty like he'd been sleeping in them.

"So what's so important that you had to wake me up in the middle of the night," he asked, sounding a bit groggy.

"I've been asked to bring The Reaper to Beacon as a student."

Qrow stopped in his tracks, staring at the Headmaster. He looked down at his flask then back up, putting it in his pocket.

"Did I hear you right," he asked, "I know I'm not that drunk yet."

"Yes, Qrow you heard me correctly."

"Someone wants you to bring a killer to Beacon. I see absolutely nothing wrong with that."

"It's not just anyone Qrow, she's someone we both knew some time ago."

"Really? Who?" Qrow's mind began to race with possibilities. He had known quite a few women over the years but very few that could be trusted to this degree.

"...She has asked me not to divulge her true identity, but she is trustworthy."

"Oz, this is pretty out there, even for you."

"I know, but this is a very special case. I wouldn't do it for just anyone."

Qrow sighed and ran his fingers through his messy hair, turning away for a moment to weigh his options. He knew the Headmaster well after years of working with him and knew that his plans, no matter how strange, had a tendency to work. However, Ozpin had never been one to keep secrets from those closest to him; It made Qrow uneasy.

"Well alright, if you've got a plan in mind," he said hesitantly.

"I do," Ozpin said handing him the scroll Amaura had given him. "This will let you track his location."

"How convenient," he said, "least it saves me some trouble." Qrow clicked it on seeing a map of Vale with a good number of pastry shops starred. "Well, whoever she is she must really like doughnuts." Two red blips then appeared on the screen, one with the message 'me first'. He looked at it suspiciously. "You know Glynda is going to be pissed when she finds out."

"Let me worry about Glynda," Ozpin replied. "Once you've caught him take him to the safe house." Qrow nodded as he made his way to the elevator, tucking the scroll into his pocket.

"Remember, you owe me one," Qrow said with a smirk as the elevator doors closed. The Headmaster sighed and chuckled as he returned to his work.

The night air sent chills down his spine as jumped from rooftop to rooftop, trying to stay out of sight as much as possible. He wanted to see whoever would be waiting for him at the blip before they saw him. As he got closer to it, the blip began to fade in and out, pulsing like Morse code. Qrow stopped and pulled out his sword when it disappeared and flashed a new message, 'Look behind you bird brain'. He turned around to see Amaura standing in a cloud of ash on the building behind him.

"You can put your weapon away, for now, Qrow," she said, "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Oh well that makes me feel a lot better," he retorted, "please allow me to let my guard down." She jumped down, standing only an inch or two shorter than him.

"You haven't changed a bit," she said with a chuckle. Qrow looked at her confused. The fact that she knew him, at least to some degree made him a bit uneasy.

"I'm sorry I don't think we've been introduced," he said. "And you are?" Even though he, like Ozpin had heard the stories of Amaura, the way she spoke to him made it seem like they were old friends getting reacquainted.

"You knew who I use to be," she replied, "not what I am now." Her response only confused him even more, causing him to roll his eyes a bit.

"Look if you're going to be cryptic I'm just going to move on. Places I gotta be, people I gotta capture. I'm sure you know how it is." He turned and began to walk away when she said something that stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Oh, come on Muninn you're not curious why I wanted to see you first?" 'Muninn' was an old nickname that only one person had ever called him. A name he hadn't heard in over a decade. Looking back, he studied everything from her clothes to her voice, trying to figure this woman out.

"Well, now I am." He put his weapon on his back and crossed his arms. Amaura smiled behind the mask.

"Good. Now let me see that scroll," she said, pulling out her own and extending her hand. Her hands, as well as her forearms, were wrapped in tattered bandages, leaving only her thin pale fingers exposed. Qrow looked down at the scroll then back up at her, unsure of trusting her.

"What do you need it for? Seems like you got a perfectly good one right there."

She sighed in annoyance as she snatched the scroll from his hand. Placing the two scrolls back to back she tapped her screen causing both devices to beep.

"There, I've given you the information you'll need to keep The Reaper at Beacon." She handed him back the scroll, the screen now displaying a profile of a young boy about 18 years old. His face was pale, icy-blue eyes dark and sunken in. The sides of his head were shaved very short, leaving the white hair on top longer and shaggy.

"Nero Noire?"

"The Reaper's real name."

Qrow stared at the screen for a moment, making Amaura a bit suspicious.

"Is there a problem," she asked.

"Nah it's just uh… old girlfriend of mine had the same last name," he replied, his voice trailing off a bit at the end. For a moment she thought she saw a sad expression cross the grizzled huntsman's face but it was gone before she could be sure. "Thanks for the info I guess."

"Yeah, you're welcome," she said, her voice a bit melancholy. "Well, I'd best be going, got places to be, people to capture… you know how it is." He watched as she walked over to the edge of the building and tossed her scroll over. He raised an eyebrow, staring for a moment before shrugging it off. Stepping up on the ledge Amaura gave a small wave without turning around.

"Oh just one more thing," Qrow said, holding up the scroll. "What's with all the doughnut shops marked on here?" Amaura chuckled as she glanced back at him.

"Even someone like me can still enjoy the simpler things in life." She held her arms out to her side and fell forward. Qrow ran over and looked over the edge expecting to see her falling but all he saw was a cloud of ash, scattering and floating down. He shook his head.

"She's got a flair for the dramatic I'll give her that," he muttered. Opening the scroll he thumbed through the various files and photos that she'd given him. A couple of the files had basic information like his physical features but others had a more intriguing story to tell. One of the folders labeled 'jobs' caught his eye. Opening it up he saw more than a dozen reports of high-profile criminals who had been decapitated with a tag at the bottom displaying the word [completed]. He closed the folder, as it made him feel a bit uneasy and returned to the tracker, now showing a solitary red dot. Seeing he had quite a way to go he sighed and transformed into a crow, flying off towards his target.

The night air became more frigid as he flew into one of the less desirable sections of town. A good number of the buildings were old and run down, threatening to collapse at the slightest breeze. Graffiti covered the walls of most of them, the windows broken and dirty. The people that were scattered around were dressed in very punk-like outfits with straps and spikes covering much of them. Qrow landed on one of the buildings and turned back into his human form. He checked the scroll and seeing he was pretty close decided to hoof it the rest of the way.

Down below him in one of the alleyways two thugs were getting their asses kicked by a young ram faunus who seemed to be wearing a White Fang uniform without the insignia on the back.

'Well, not my problem,' Qrow thought to himself as he checked the scroll and saw that the red dot was now right on top of him. Readying his weapon, he looked around noticing a small wisp of smoke floating through the air like it was blowing in the wind. Before he could turn around to see the source he heard the distinct sound of a gun cocking.

"Begone huntsman. You have no business here." The voice that came from behind him was low and distorted, almost robotic.

"Actually, this scroll begs to differ," Qrow replied holding up Amaura's scroll, "Reaper." Qrow turned around and raised his weapon expecting to him to begin his attack but Reaper just stood there a few yards away, still as a statue. He was definitely Amaura's student. The black poncho-like cloak he wore covered everything but his forearms and shins, both of which were protected by dark pieces of armor. However the most distinct feature was the mask he wore. It looked like it had been modified from a full White fang mask, yet it had an almost skull-like shape to it. In his hands he held a rifle-like weapon with a large rounded stock, small scope onto and spikes on the compensator. "You want it? Come and take it."

The Reaper stayed silent as his body and weapon seemingly turned into smoke, rushing at him with almost ghost-like movement. He passed through the huntsman and spun around once he was behind him. His rifle transformed, the barrel extended and the stock opened up allowing a large curved blade to fold out, giving the weapon the appearance of a scythe. With one quick motion he slashed towards him, aiming for his neck. Raising his weapon Qrow blocked the strike with ease, delivering a solid kick to his opponent's chest, knocking him to the ground.

"Think you know how to use that weapon kid? I invented scythe fighting." The blade of his sword segmented and curved down as the handle extended to the ground, transforming it into his own scythe. The Reaper flipped up and jumped back, analyzing the man that stood before him. One look at the weapon gave him all the information he needed to start running.

"How did I not recognize him immediately," he asked himself, feeling stupid. Qrow was a bit surprised as a gave chase not expecting someone like him to turn tail and run. The Reaper leaped across the rooftops, returning his weapon to it's rifle form. As the young criminal glanced back to see how much progress his pursuer had made he stepped onto a weakened part of the roof, causing it to collapse. Qrow landed on the edge of the hole and watched, almost in amusement, as The Reaper kept falling through the floors of the dilapidated building. He hit the bottom floor hard, blue electricity sparking off his body. The tell-tale sign of his aura being depleted. As he struggled to stand, the rubble underneath him began to crumble, making it more difficult. Once he was up he came face to face with the Qrow's blade, now back in its sword form.

"I'm going to ask you once to stop running and come with me," Qrow said, "I'm tired and I'd rather not waste any more time chasing you." The Reaper glared back at him through his cracked mask, weighing the options. He looked down at his now broken weapon and sighed in frustration. On one hand, he could attack, get his ass kicked, then wake up in an unknown location without any knowledge of why he was there. On the other hand, he knew it would be better to play along, at least for the time being.

"Fine, collect my bounty," he jeered, "be the huntsman that took down The Reaper."

Qrow couldn't help but chuckle, which ended up escalating to a full blown laugh. "You're a bit full of yourself aren't you, Nero?" He was lucky he had the mask on because there was no way he was hiding the look of absolute shock that had consumed his face. Nobody except for a select few were allowed to know his name, and any that managed to find out were taken care of. Now that his name had been exposed he had no other choice than to follow the grizzled huntsman. Despite this he'd been taught what to do should he ever be captured. Gather information and look for the best opportunity to make a getaway. He reached to grab his weapon but Qrow moved his blade closer.

"Uh-uh," he said as he bent down to pick it up, "can't have you trying something." The huntsman put the weapon on his back and watched carefully as The Reaper got up. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a pair high-tech handcuffs, tossing them to the young criminal. He growled as he reluctantly put them on. When he snapped them shut they began to glow, emitting a soft beeping sound. "Those'll keep you in check. Use your Semblance, get shocked. Pretty simple, right?"

"And here I thought you trusted me," he said sarcastically, beginning to walk.

"Nope, not done." Qrow grabbed his hood and pulled it down so that it covered his face completely.

"...Seriously?"

"Can't exactly have you see where we're going and knocking you out would be too much work."

The Reaper shook his head as Qrow grabbed the back of his collar, guiding him to a location he was unfamiliar with. Since he couldn't see he tried listening for anything that would give any sort of hint to their location. A conversation, a signature sound. Nothing. The only sounds he heard were the faint sounds of the city in the distance, seeming to get further away with each step they took. Fortunately, it didn't take them long to get to their destination. Once they had, he heard a few soft beeps then after a second of silence, a grunt of frustration. The beeps started up again but were interrupted by the sound of a door creaking open.

"Oh you're already here," Qrow said, "thank the gods."

"Come on in," A voice said. He pushed The Reaper inside and sat him down in a chair, removing his hood. Glancing around the room it didn't look like much at all. The walls were unkempt with the paint chipping in a good number of spots and a single hanging light in the center of the room. His eyes eventually fell onto the man sitting on the other side of the simple wooden table. Professor Ozpin. "Hello, We have much to discuss."

Qrow walked over, handed the Headmaster Amaura's scroll, then leaned in and whispered something to him.

"Is that so," Ozpin asked as he glanced up at his friend. He looked at the scroll, then to The Reaper. "Well, that makes things a great deal more simple, doesn't it?" Opening the scroll he skimmed over the information, letting out the occasional sigh. As soon as he laid eyes on his real name, he knew why the boy was so important to Amaura. He looked over at the young criminal, who was sitting patiently, watching them like a hawk. "So, Nero Noire. Quite a fitting name."

"Did I miss a tabloid where I was outed or something," Nero asked, "How do both of you know my name and how did you get that scroll?"

"That's not important Mister Noire. What is important is that I have this information and much more at my disposal." Ozpin put the scroll in his pocket then rested his hands on the table, interlocking his fingers. It was difficult for him to gauge the young criminal's response due to the mask, but he knew he had the upper hand.

"So what do you want," Nero demanded, holding back his anger as best he could.

"I'm here to make you a deal. You will come to my school under the guise of a student and I'll be sure to keep this information I have from any… interested parties." Nero stared at Ozpin in confusion. The Headmaster of an academy like Beacon wanting someone like him at his school didn't make sense. He glanced at Qrow to see if this was some kind of joke or if they were trying to mess with him but the Huntsman just stood there with a tired look on his face, like he wasn't even there.

"...What?"

"You will come to my school and I won't turn you in," Ozpin stated bluntly with a bit more seriousness in his voice. The expression he wore was almost smug which made Nero even more irritated.

"I understand the deal _Ozpin_ ," he said through gritted teeth, stressing his name. "but why? What possible reason could you have for wanting someone like me at your school?" The Headmaster sighed as he thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully.

"Someone with skills like yours should really be using them for a better purpose. Don't you think?" For a few moments Nero didn't know how to respond. He knew he was right. The skills he'd acquired over the years would easily make him one of the better Huntsman out there. However, with all the things he'd done he never thought anyone would give the opportunity to do anything more than kill other people. Yet here it was staring him right in the face. He glared across the table, knowing that there was something being left out.

"So what's the catch?"

"Catch?"

"You're not telling me everything."

"You don't need to know everything right now. All you need to understand is that it would be in your best interest to attend my academy."

Nero clenched his fists, he didn't like the fact that he only had one option. Normally before he did anything he had a plan, knowledge of what he was up against but this had caught him completely off guard. They had information that no one else was suppose to have, information that could put him away for the rest of his natural life. He glared at Ozpin and took a deep breath.

"Fine. It's not like I actually have a choice anyway."

"I'm glad you see things my way," Ozpin said as he pulled a card from his jacket and placed it on the table, sliding it across. "This is your pass for the ship to Beacon. It leaves in one week." Nero raised an eyebrow, looking at the card, then back at Oz.

"Your not going to drag me there on some high security ship?"

"That would ruin your disguise as a student."

Nero shrugged. "Fair point, but how do you know I won't run?"

Ozpin stood up and grabbed his cane, looking down at the young criminal with a serious, almost angry look on his face. "I think we both know that is not going to happen." Nero shuddered a bit internally. For the first time in his life he felt threatened. A man in Ozpin's position was more than capable of fulfilling any promises, or threats, he makes. Silence permeated the room for a brief moment before Qrow yawned, lightening the mood a bit.

"So are we done here," he asked exhausted.

"Yes Qrow we're done here," Ozpin said chuckling a bit, making his way to the door. As Nero stood the Huntsman placed the young criminal's broken weapon on the table extending his hand.

"Let me get those cuffs," he muttered. Much to the Huntsman's surprise Nero got up, took them off and handed them over. "Hm, should have figured." He shoved the cuffs back in his pocket and followed Ozpin out, thankful that he could go back to his house and get some sleep. Nero watched them go waiting until they were gone to remove his mask, setting it on the table, along with his cloak. He stared at his old uniform for a moment, almost sad to leave it behind. The life he knew was over. Everything he'd known for the past ten years was about to change. He could only hope it was for the better. Grabbing his weapon he exited the safe house, taking note of its location, and returned to his own apartment to prepare for Beacon.


	2. Chapter 2: First Day

In the week following his capture he used his time to research the first year students he would be attending Beacon with, along with making a new outfit and weapon. His new outfit consisted of hooded jacket with the sleeves rolled up over a tactical vest and extended holsters on both thighs, deciding to keep his old greaves and gauntlets to finish it off. The new weapons he'd crafted were a pair of oversized revolver-like weapons that looked more like sawed off shotgun than a revolver. A rectangular encasement held the two barrels in an over/under configuration in front of a break action cylinder system with a pistol grip style handle. He picked both up and slid them into his holsters, feeling a bit off since these were not the weapons he was use to. Heading towards the door he grabbed the ship pass Ozpin had given him, stopping to look back at his apartment one last time before setting the alarm and locking the door. The trek to the ship was a relatively short and uneventful since it was early in the morning.

Once there Nero showed his pass and reluctantly stepped onto the ship. As it took off he looked around at all the other students that crowded the interior. Each one had there own colorful style and weapon, making him feel a bit out of place in his practically all black attire. He recognized a few of them from his research, a busty blonde and her red clad sister, a girl who looked like she was straight of an old western, and another girl whose style could only be described as punk. However the oddest one was a ram faunus wearing a hoodie that concealed her face, as much as her horns would allow, which wasn't a lot. The strange thing that he hadn't seen a ram faunus in his list of first-year students. However, before he could investigate the ship hit some turbulence and a girl, dressed in very colorful clothes, bumped into him, nearly knocking him over. Her pixie cut, tank top, and pants were a deep purple while her knee-high boots, vest and beanie were a soft pastel yellow. The only armor she wore was a spaulder and vambrace on her left arm, colored a light shade of purple.

"Oh I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to bump into you the ship just kinda, pushed me." She began fidgeting with her fingers, blushing heavily as she avoided his gaze. Nero looked down at her, and patted her on the shoulder.

"It's fine," he said as he looked back towards the ram faunus but she had disappeared.

"My name's Xanthia," she said, her voice now more upbeat and perky. She held out her hand for him to shake, causing him to notice the yellow lightning shaped marks that covered her right arm.

"Hi," Nero said, shaking her hand firmly. He turned away and began thinking about the ram faunus. She had reminded him of an undercover White Fang operative he'd worked with a couple months back. Same horns and everything. A bit of an awkward silence filled the air between them until she decided to speak again.

"So... are you going to tell me your name? I mean if you don't talk much that's ok I can talk for the both of us here watch. Hi, what's your name? _Well, hey there cutie my name's Coolguns Mcstoneface._ That's a really cool name Mister Mcstoneface I—"

"Yin, Yin Daiyu," He said, not giving his real name out of habit.

"See that wasn't so hard," she said, pausing to give him a chance to respond. He made the mistake of staying silent. "Are those your weapons?"

"You mean the guns in my holsters," he asked sarcastically, "Yes, these are my weapons."

"Can I see?"

Nero gave a soft sigh of annoyance as he unholstered one of his weapons. "Top barrel is a shotgun, bottom is a .44 magnum when I switch out the cylinder." He snapped the grip back, which aligned it with the rest of the body. The rectangular encasement rotated down 90 degrees as the barrels slid back inside and a handle extended from the bottom of the grip. "And it's a hammer. What about you?"

Xanthia's face lit up as she reached behind her and pulled out a LMG with large circular thumbhole stock. She grabbed a comma shaped part of the stock, separated it a clicked into the side of the body like an ammo box causing a short barrel to extend from the end of the gun, a foregrip to rotate from the bottom, and a scope to pop out from the top.

"One _Hundred_ rounds of 7.62 hollow points firing at 550 rpm with a dual sight scope and a sexy yellow and purple paint job to finish it off." She clicked the ammo box back into the stock as its parts returned to their places. A long shaft telescoped from underneath the barrel, which hit the ground with a loud clang, and a rounded blade popped out from the bottom of the stock. "It's also an ax named Raikiri. I mean the gun's name is that too not just the ax. That'd be weird if just the ax had a name and the gun didn't huh?"

"Very nice," Nero said, pleasantly surprised. He couldn't help but grin a bit at how confident she was in her weapon, like a child showing off their craft project.

"Thanks, my big sister helped my make it," Xanthia said as she returned her weapon to its carry form and put it on her back. Nero simply nodded and turned his gaze to the window, seeing they had just crossed the edge of the city. She began to fidget with her fingers as her face turned red.

"So, um I hear you have to have a partner," she stammered, "Do you have one? I mean cause if you don't, you know maybe we could be um..."

"Partners," he asked, glancing over at her.

"If you don't want to I totally understand..." Her voice had become a bit sadder as she looked down at the ground.

"Sure." He held out his hand. It took her a second to notice and when she did her eyes went wide, a smile forming on her face.

"Y-you really want to be partners? For real?"

"Yeah."

She squealed and hugged him tightly. Nero immediately pushed her back, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. A heavy blush filled her face, returning to fidgeting with her fingers.

"I'm sorry. It's just… nobody has said yes yet." Xanthia bit her lip, tearing up. He rolled his eyes a bit as he patted her on the should.

"Well someone did so no crying ok," Nero said. "It's kind of annoying." She nodded and gave a smile, her heart beating out of her chest.

'I made a friend,' she thought. Xanthia was barely able to contain her excitement, occasionally letting out a small squeak, causing Nero to look over at her. He chuckled, seeing how giddy she was just to have a partner. They stood there in virtual silence until a blonde boy in jeans, a hoodie and very simple armor pushed Xanthia out of the way, while holding his mouth, in an effort to get somewhere. Nero grabbed his hood and pulled him back.

"Hey, watch where—" He cut himself off when he realized why this boy was in such a hurry. His face was a sickly green color and his cheeks were puffed out, desperately trying to hold something in. Nero then shoved his head into the nearest trash can and held it there as the boy threw up. Xanthia's face scrunched up in disgust. Once he was done Nero let go of him, allowing him to stand up. He opened his mouth to say something but got interrupted.

"You owe her an apology," Nero said, crossing his arms. The boy looked over at Xanthia who was blushing. She was happy the he was defending her but still felt a bit bad for the boy. He was holding onto the trash can as he looked back at her.

"Sorry, I didn't wanna throw up on anyone," he said.

"It's ok I get it," Xanthia said, "I wouldn't want to barf on anyone either if I had to. Well, I wouldn't want to barf at all cause you know it's super gross but I mean if I have to I—" She stopped when she noticed Nero giving her a look of annoyance, which made her giggle. "Sorry."

"It's alright," Nero said with a chuckle.

"My name's Jaune—" The boy tried to speak but the ship hit some more turbulence as it began it's decent, interrupting him and causing him to return to the trash can. Nero shook his head as he made his way to the other end of the ship with his new partner close behind him.

Once the ship had landed the students began to funnel out into the large open courtyard, scattering and then grouping up with their friends. Flag-draped lamp posts lined the long, wide avenue that lead up to a large amphitheater surrounded by a double ring of columns, split by the main walkway, with the outer ring raising above the inner one. In front of the massive doors were a statue of a Huntsman and Huntress standing triumphantly on a rock, and a set of bright red trees on either side. The most prominent thing however was the set of buildings behind the amphitheater. A large central tower loomed over the others around it, a bright green beacon shining from the top.

Nero had stayed in the back of the group to see if he could find the ram faunus from earlier, slightly miffed when he didn't. Xanthia about to say something when an explosion went off in the distance. His hand immediately went to his weapon, but stopped, reminding himself that he was at a school and not on a job. He took a deep breath before the two of them made their way over to the source of the explosion, finding a small girl in a red dress and cape being scolded by a girl in white.

"Huh, not our problem," Nero said as he walked away with Xanthia right behind him, smiling happily as she skipped down the walkway.

"Beacon is so cool huh," she exclaimed, "I mean just look how big it is, I bet there's buried treasure around her somewhere or maybe a secret pirate cove at the bottom of the cliff over there!" Nero stared at her as she continued to voice what ever thoughts came to her mind, wondering if he'd made a mistake accepting her partnership. "I'm so excited to be here my big sister helped out so much. So what about you huh why are you at Beacon?"

"Oh uh, I'm here for my mother," he said, "I got in trouble a lot as a kid so she forced me into school… said it'd be a better use for my skill."

"Aww that's so sweet," she said, playfully punching his shoulder. "What about your dad though?"

"He's a engineer," he replied, "Never had enough time for me or mom. How about your parents?" Xanthia suddenly became quiet, beginning to fidget with her fingers and avoiding his eyes.

"Um, well I… My parents aren't really the best," she stammered, "My mom was really mean and my dad… he..." She covered her face and stopped, getting his attention. He grabbed her and sat her down on a bench on the side of the avenue.

"Hey, what are you doing," he asked, his tone coming across harsher than intended. Xanthia shook her head trying to turn away from him, but he grabbed her shoulders, making her face him. "Xanthia I'm your partner now, you don't hide shit from your partner." As soon as those words came out he realized how hypocritical they were coming from him, but he had to keep his true identity a secret. She slowly lowered her hands, revealing her now deep red cheek and tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry I know you said crying is annoying," she sobbed, "it's just… my dad died like a month ago." She tried in vain to hold back her tears, covering her face again. Nero gave her a bit of a sympathetic look as he put his arm around her, gently patting her shoulder.

"It's fine, I know what it's like to lose a parent," he said gently, "after she sent me to school my mother got in an accident… died on the way to the hospital." Xanthia looked up at him, wiping her cheeks, quickly wrapping her arms around him pulling him close. He was hesitant to return the hug, not really being comfortable with prolonged physical contact. When she didn't let go he patted her on the back, knowing he should say something, but was having trouble coming up with it. "Well, uh, I'm sure your dad would be proud of you for getting here."

"Yeah, y-yeah he would huh," Xanthia said, her voice returning to it's more cheery tone. "Thanks Yin, I'm glad I got you for a partner."

"Thanks," he said, "you can let go now." She retracted her arms putting her hand behind her back, giggling a bit as she apologized. They stood up and continued walking to the amphitheater, with Xanthia trying to put a little spring into her step. As they came to the massive open doors Nero's scroll began to ring, surprising him a bit. He pulled it out to see that Bianca Argento, his now former partner in crime, was calling him, something she almost never did.

"Ooo who's calling you," Xanthia asked, leaning over to see. He pulled the scroll away, giving her a look of mild irritation. "Right, sorry."

"It's fine," he said with a chuckle, "Go on in I need to take this."

"Are you sure," she asked, "what if you get lost?" The look he gave was answer enough to get her to go in, giggling to herself. Once inside Xanthia looked up in wonder at the large oval shaped room. Rows of benches lined the walls high above them like seats in a stadium. In the front sat a stage that rose above the floor illuminated by a spotlight, with a lonely microphone stand it's only occupant. She was so enthralled by the room that she didn't notice that she was headed right for another student, bumping into them and falling over.

"Ah! I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," Xanthia said, "I thought the room looked really cool and—" She looked up to see a tall fiery haired girl, dressed like a Roman centurion, with a gladiator's manica on her right arm. Her weapon seemed to be as old fashioned as her armor. On her hip was a gladius, and on her back was a hexagonal shield that was taller than it was wide. The girl reached down and helped her up, a bright smile filled her face.

"It's alright sweety," she said, wielding a Scottish accent, "I think I can give a pass ta someone as cute as you. My name's Olivia by the way." Xanthia blushed heavily, giggling uncontrollably.

"I'm Xanthia," she said and for the first time in her life, didn't know what else to say. This girl had not only been nice to her, but had called her cute too.

"So I guess you're a first-year student as well?" Olivia was still holding onto Xanthia's hand, pulling it away immediately when she noticed, blushing a bit.

"Yep, I'm so glad to be here I thought it would be really hard to make friends but I already found a really cool partner. He's super cool and cute and um I..." She blushed and started giggling after realizing what she said. A brief look of disappointment crossed Olivia's face before returning to her normal, happy expression.

"Don't be embarrassed, I think it's cute. You'll be with the same team for the next four years so ya might as well pick someone easy on the eyes. So who is he?"

"It's the guy who kinda looks like a skeleton talking on a scroll out front. I mean not a skeleton talking on a scroll specifically I mean he looks like a skeleton _and_ he just happens to be talking on a scroll." Olivia couldn't help but laugh.

"He sounds interestin'."

"Yeah he was the only one who wanted to be my partner."

"Really? I find that a wee bit hard to believe. A nice, pretty burd like you should have people lining up ta be your partner."

"You think so," Xanthia asked, her face getting redder.

"Of course. Ya know I'm actually lookin' for a team myself, think ya two'd be interested?" Xanthia looked at her a bit surprised.

"You want us to be on your team? Like for real? Like you're not going to ask us to join and then change your mind are you?"

"Now why would I do that? I wouldn't have made the offer if I wasn't serious. So what do ya say?"

"Yes!" Xanthia squealed and hugged her, letting go immediately and backing up. "S-sorry, I got a bit too excited." A heavy blush filled her face as she fidgeted with her fingers. Olivia gave her a sympathetic look before patting her on the head.

"You shouldn't have ta apologize, it's good to get excited about things." She continued to caress her head, feeling something move beneath her beanie, rubbing it gently. Xanthia let out a sharp gasp and bit her lip, batting her hand away.

"I'm sorry my uh… my hair is sensitive," she stammered, unable to come up with a good excuse. Olivia looked at her a bit confused. What she felt under her beanie felt like the ears a faunus would have and if that was the case, she wondered why she felt the need to hide them.

"If you're a faunus you shouldn't be hiding it," Olivia said, "you should wear it proudly." Xanthia's face sank into a sad expression, looking down at the ground.

"People make fun of me," she said, "I've been beat up before because of it." She was on the verge of tears as Olivia pulled her into a gentle hug.

"Tell ya what since your on my team now, if any bawbag tries ta mess with ya I'll kick 'em in the arse." Xanthia couldn't help but giggle and return the hug.

"Thanks, Olivia you're really cool," she said.

"Thank ya. Well ya wanna see if we can get a good spot," Olivia asked. "I think the welcoming ceremony is about ta start."

"I kinda want to wait for Yin," she said. "He's my partner. You know the skeleton on the scroll."

"Oh yeah, I guess we can wait for a bit." The two of them sat down on one of the benches and began to wait patiently.

Nero walked away from the crowd, watching to make sure nobody was following him. He looked down at his ringing scroll just staring at the picture on screen. The image was a crescent moon and a diamond shape with two loops on the side contained within the moon. The symbol of Bianca Argento. The two of them had practically grown up together, as much as two kids being put through intense physical training could anyway. She had always been there for him and he for her, but when he came to Beacon, he knew things had to change. Over the past week he'd gone dark, stopping all contact with his criminal cohorts, which included her, and he knew she probably hadn't taken that well. He took a deep breath, answered the call, and braced himself.

"Hello Bi—"

"WHAT. THE. FUCK?!" Her voice, aside from being angrier than he'd ever heard her sounded pained and horse, as if she'd been screaming for a while. He pulled the scroll away from his ear, wincing a bit at the volume of her voice.

"Bianca, let me expl—"

"Oh, you'd better explain you fuckin' edgelord, _Ho intenzione di ucciderti!_ "

"Hey, I don't have any control over this! Ozpin has Amaura's scroll." The line was silent for a moment as she processed the information.

"What? How is that even possible? Does he have anything on The Family?"

"Not as far as I know."

"...Nero, what does this mean?" Her voice had changed to a more worried tone, which concerned him a bit. The fact that he could detect the worry in her voice at all made him uneasy.

"Well, as long as he doesn't have anything on The Fam—"

"No. What does this mean for us?" Now it was his turn to be silent for a moment, trying to pick his words carefully.

"You know what it means."

"Yeah, it means you're just gonna leave me in the fucking cold! Did you just forget about rule number one? Don't screw over your goddamn partner!"

"I know the rules."

"Then why didn't you follow any of them?!"

"Because if I play along I have a better chance of getting that scroll back. Besides I never broke any of the rules, I just bent them."

"Oh fuck you. You broke rule three. For the past week I've been trying to contact you and got nothing, I... I needed you." Her voice broke a little as she finished, only adding to his concern for her.

"Bianca, I don't plan on staying here long… as soon as I have that scroll I'll come back ok."

"You fucking better… it's no fun doing this without you."

She hung up before he could respond, frustrating him a bit. Nero ran his fingers through his hair. He was already frustrated with his current situation, and her being angry at him certainly didn't help. Taking a deep breath he shoved his scroll back in his pocket, and headed back into the hall.

The second he stepped foot inside Xanthia ran up to him, practically tackling him to the ground. He pushed her off as a heavy blush filled her cheeks.

"I'm glad you didn't get lost," she said, making both of them chuckle.

"Yeah Beacon is such a maze," He said sarcastically.

"So this is Yin," Olivia chimed in, looking him over. "She's been goin' on about ya this whole time." Xanthia blushed a bit.

"Shut up," she said as she playfully punched Olivia in the arm, "I didn't talk about him the **whole** time."

"And you are," he asked, feigning ignorance. He knew full well who she was, or at least who her profile said she was. Olivia Aeronwen was a successful athlete with a good number of tournament wins under her belt, along with being one of the top graduates from Sanctum Academy in Mistral.

"My name is Olivia," she said, holding out her hand, "It's nice ta meet ya." He shook her hand firmly and couldn't help but smirk a bit when her grip was just as firm.

"Your last name wouldn't be Aeronwen would it?" He crossed his arms and looked her over, trying to sell the fact that he didn't know her.

"Yeah, it would," she said a bit nervous, "How'd ya know?"

"Can't exactly be a well known athlete without—"

"Shhh, Shut yer geggy ya bampot," she said in a hushed tone, "I… I don' want people knowing who I am here."

"What do you mean," Xanthia asked, oblivious to who she was. Olivia sighed, rubbing the back of her neck, blushing.

"Back in Mistral I'm kinda famous," she said, "I've won a bunch o' tournaments and even got an acting roll as a cereal mascot's sidekick."

Xanthia let out a sharp gasp, pointing at her. "I knew you looked familiar. You're Lieutenant Lazuli aren't you? Oh, that's like my favorite commercial ever!" Olivia shushed her, causing her to begin fidgeting with her fingers. "Sorry."

"It's alright sweety," Olivia said in an apologetic tone, "It's just people treat me different, because I'm famous, even some of my old friends..."

"Well, we pinky promise not to tell anyone you're famous. Or how super cool it is to have Lieutenant Lazuli on our team." Xanthia held her pinky out. Olivia couldn't help but smile at her silliness as she wrapped her pinky around Xanthia's, then pulled her into a close hug.

"And I promise ta keep yer secret too," she whispered, "if ya want." Xanthia looked up at her and smiled back.

"Thanks but..." Xanthia reached up and slowly removed her beanie, shaking a bit as she did. A pair of small squirrel ears popped up. "You're right I shouldn't be hiding it." She looked over to Nero expecting him to be surprised, but he just had the same stoic look he always had. "Y-you're not surprised?"

"About you being a faunus, no," he said in an almost monotoned voice, "I don't care, as long as you can use your weapon." Her face lit up and tried to hug him but he held her back, chuckling a bit. "Uh-uh."

"Aw come on, please," she pleaded, making as cute a face as possible. Even he had to admit it was she was already cute enough already, but the addition of the ears put her over the top. He sighed heavily and gave her a brief embrace.

"No more of those though," he said, "I don't like being touched." Xanthia rolled her eyes as she giggled.

"Ok, mister party pooper," she said.

"Alright you two let's head on in," Olivia said with a chuckle. The three of them headed in and found a spot near the back since most of the other students had already filled the room. They didn't have to wait long before Ozpin walked up to the microphone with Glynda not far behind.

"Ahem… I'll keep this brief," he began, "You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

He walked off stage as the students whispered amongst themselves, a little confused. Glynda then stepped up to the microphone.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight," she said, "tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed." As she hurried off stage Nero thought he saw her shoot an angry look his way, but dismissed it as paranoia. The students began funneling out of the room, scattering across the Beacon grounds to explore and familiarize themselves with the campus.

"Onward team," Xanthia exclaimed, "let's go find that treasure!" Olivia laughed, looking over at Nero to see if had had an explanation.

"She thinks there's buried treasure somewhere on campus," he said. 

"Hey, you never know until you look," she shot back playfully. Olivia put her arm around Xanthia.

"Well, it will give us a chance to get ta know the school," she said.

"Yeah, now we just need shovels," Xanthia said. And with that they headed off, exploring all that Beacon had to offer. However, as they walked Nero couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched by someone, trying to tell himself it was just in his head. That he wasn't in that line of work anymore. He looked over and listened to Xanthia's ramblings, finding it strange that it actually did calm him.

'Maybe this won't be so bad,' he thought to himself.


	3. Chapter 3: Needing a Fourth

As the day continued and the night grew closer the three of them began to head back towards the mess hall. Xanthia had been talking almost the entire time with Olivia chiming in whenever she could. Nero stayed silent, mostly due to the fact that he hadn't got a chance to speak at all. He wasn't discouraged though, he was use to not speaking, and it gave him time to observe his new teammates. This was the first time in his life that he'd had to get to know a new team. His thoughts began to drift, but not for long. Xanthia's stomach rumbled loudly, causing the others to look at her in surprise.

"Wow I guess I'm really hungry," she said with a giggle.

"They should be servin' supper soon," Olivia said. "At lease I hope."

"Food? Yes," Xanthia replied happily, almost immediately taking off towards the dining hall. Olivia and Nero couldn't help but chuckle as they followed.

"So Yin, quite some partner ya got there," Olivia commented.

"Yeah she's something alright," he said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Is it true that ya were the only person who wanted ta be her partner?"

"Not exactly, she asked and I said yes... it's not like I took pity on her."

"...Yer no' exactly a team player are ya?"

"Let's just say I don't exactly make friends well."

"Well ya got me and Xanthia... that counts for somethin'."

"I suppose."

"Look at it this way, yer gonna be stuck with me, her, and some other bampot for the next four years, so you might try gettin' use to it."

"...I'll give it a week before at least one of you wants me dead."

Olivia chuckled as they entered the dining hall. It didn't take them long to find Xanthia behind a large plate of food. She waved happily, gesturing for them to come sit with her. They walked over with Nero sitting down across from her. She looked down at the table and giggled as she swallowed the bite she was chewing.

"Oh you guys probably should get food first huh," she asked.

"I'm good," Nero said.

"Oh no ya don't we're getting food now," Olivia retorted "I won't have one of my teammates goin' hungry." She grabbed his arm and dragged him to the buffet where they both got sizable plates, and filled them up, returning to Xanthia quickly. They sat in relative silence for most of the meal, except for Xanthia, who continued to say whatever came to her mind. Nero looked around, studying various students that he recognized from his research before coming to Beacon. He was about to get up when another student slammed into his back, almost knocking him into his food. Getting up, he turned around to see who it was, to see Jaune laying on the ground.

"Sorry about th—," Jaune began to say before looking up to see who he had hit. Nero glanced down at him before looking up to see someone cackling with laughter. He was a tall boy with light brown swept back hair, wearing what looked like knight armor with a bird emblazoned on the chest.

"Hey, asshole," Nero shouted at him, "watch where you throw your trash next time." The boy scoffed and walked away. Olivia helped Jaune up making sure he was ok before shooting an angry look at Nero.

"There's no need ta be rude Yin," she said, "it's not like he chose ta bump into ya, ya dobber."

"That's the second time today he's bumped into someone," he said, the irritation prevalent in his voice. The encounter on the ship hadn't exactly left a good impression on either of them.

"So? Maybe he's just a klutz," she said as nicely as she could. Olivia didn't like talking bad about anyone, always trying to find something good in everyone.

"Hey," Jaune exclaimed, "I just haven't had much practice falling down is all."

Nero shook his head, getting up and walking away. His teammates watched a bit surprised, not expecting someone like him to just walk away.

"And where do ya think yer goin'," she asked, hands on her hips.

"I'm allergic to stupid," He said without looking back. Olivia rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore his rudeness as she turned back to Jaune.

"Ya sure yer alright?"

"Yeah yeah," Jaune replied with a chuckle, "Nothing's hurt… except maybe my pride." He rubbed the back of his neck as he muttered the last part. She looked at him with sympathy. The boy obviously had a lot to learn, but there was something she like about him. Probably the sword he carried he carried on his hip, not everyone wielded a simple weapon. "So, my name's Jaune. You uh… looking for a team? Cause if you are there might be some room on Team Jaune for you." He leaned in a bit closer, trying his best to smirk and sound charming, which just made her chuckle.

"Sorry lady killer, I've already got a team of my own," she said as she patted him on the shoulder. Jaune slumped down a bit in disappointment. "Don' worry though I'm sure you'll find a good team of your own. Just gotta keep tryin'."

"You really think so," he asked, perking up a bit.

"Of course," Olivia said. "Plus I think that cute girl over there has been eyein' ya." She gestured to a girl in a short white dress, with a matching ponytail. He looked over, blushing a bit when he saw her. "Go get her." Jaune nodded and headed over without saying another word. She looked back to Xanthia was licking her plate, stopping immediately when she noticed, Olivia smiling at her. "I guess ya liked it?" Xanthia nodded blushing a bit. "Come on, let's go get our lockers."

The two girls walked to one of the offices and picked up their locker assignments, then headed back to the dining hall. With a quick look around they were a bit concerned when they didn't see Nero.

"I wonder where he went," Xanthia said, "what if he went out to find buried treasure without us!" She looked up to Olivia and pretended to make a sad face, complete with exaggerated pouty lip.

"I'm sure the dobber is around here somewhere," she said with a chuckle, then muttered, "wouldn't put it past 'em though."

"Well, I-I'll see if I can find him," Xanthia said, "You can go ahead and find your locker." Olivia was a bit surprised at her offer, but appreciated it.

"Alright, if yer sure," she said, handing the two slips of paper that had their locker numbers on them. Xanthia nodded, watching as Olivia left to the locker room. She then looked around nervously and found a place where she wouldn't be seen, pulling out her scroll. She started to make a call when Nero popped up behind her, startling her and causing her to drop it.

"There you are," he said, "Thought you two would have stayed in the mess hall." Xanthia quickly retrieved her scroll putting it back in her pocket.

"Oh hey there Yin," she said, "Y-yeah we went to get out lockers." She smiled excitedly, handing him his own slip of paper.

"Thanks," he said looking down at his number, Locker #117. "...Where's Olivia?"

"She's probably in her locker putting her stuff away," Xanthia said pausing for a moment, "I mean she's not IN her locker that'd be weird she's putting her things in her locker like her sword and her... clothes? No, I don't think she'd do that then she'd be walking around naked. That'd be really weird."

"Yeah then my breasts would be all exposed," Olivia said, jumping up behind them, "not to mention everyone would see the weird birthmark on my bum." They both eyed her with a look of confusion.

"A little TMI there Olivia," Xanthia said, "or is it FBI... ONI?"

"It's TMI Xanthia," Nero said before she could continue, "and I really don't need a mental image of your ass Olivia."

"Well no one was askin' ya ta picture my arse," she shot back, her cheeks turning red.

"Trust me it wasn't a choice," he said crossing his arms. Olivia scowled at him.

"I'm not even into guys anyway," she said jabbing him in the shoulder.

"What a shocker," he retorted, "Come on Xanthia, let's go put our shit away." She nodded and followed him to a large room with walls lined with lockers that were taller then they were. Olivia shook her head and went to grab sleeping bags for her team, that all the students would be using for the night to come.

"Do you need help finding your locker," Nero inquired, glancing over at Xanthia.

"No silly I think I know my numbers," she replied looking down at her slip of paper, turning it over a few times until she nodded in satisfaction. She walked off in search of the locker that matched her number, her expression contorted in confusion.

"...Give it here," he said with a heavy sigh. She handed him her number with a sly look on her face as if she was proud of herself. He looked down at the number, raised an eyebrow, then eyed her suspiciously. "Your locker number is 116..." She nodded happily. "You planned this didn't you?" Again she nodded.

"Yup, they're over here," she said as she grabbed his hand and dragged him over to their lockers. "ta da! and Olivia's is next to yours so you'll be in the middle of a cute sandwich." He shook his head and took out his scroll, syncing it with his locker. As he put his duffel bag in, Xanthia peeked over his shoulder. "So whatcha got in the bag huh?"

"Personal items don't touch them," Nero said.

"Oooh we got a mystery on our hands," Xanthia said excitedly. He unintentionally slammed the locker shut causing her to jump.

"No you don't," he said, "what's in that bag is very dangerous... you could get yourself killed or worse."

"I was just kidding," she stammered as she fidgeted with her fingers, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you mad..." Nero sighed and patted her on the shoulder.

"It's fine," he said. She smiled, her cheeks heating up as she opened her arms.

"Hug?"

Nero eyed her for a moment before reluctantly embracing her, if only for a quick moment. As he let go a large fluffy sleeping bag hit him in the face, knocking him back a bit.

"Heads up," Olivia said as she handed Xanthia an identical bag, she wore a caramel colored tank-top and dark brown short shorts. Nero opened his locker and retrieved a simple black t-shirt and pants then began changing right there in front of the two girls. Xanthia blushed heavily, watching him remove his jacket. Olivia sighed and pulled her away before he could remove his pants, seeing that her nose had started to bleed.

"Fuckin' pervert," she muttered. Xanthia bit her lip as she thought about him, her heart racing.

"I-I'll be right back," she said, running off. Olivia got a concerned look on her face before slamming it into her palm, leaving a small red mark on her forehead.

"I hope it's not going to be four years of this shit," she said to herself as she set up her sleeping bag, "What does she even see in him?"

"Maybe it's my charm," Nero said, causing her to jump a bit. She turned to see him wearing a simple black t-shirt and pants. Olivia huffed and gave him a stern look.

"A Beowulf has more charm than you," she spat, "I haven' seen you be anythin' but a jerk. You ev'n stripped in front of us!" Olivia began to raise her voice a bit, gaining the attention of a few other students.

"It's not like I was completely naked," he said setting up his sleeping bag near hers, "plus I'm nice to Xanthia."

"Xanthia's... she's naïve," she said, "she trusts a bit too easy and... she's not exactly the sharpest sword in the armory, I—"

"Y-you think I'm s-stupid," Xanthia asked standing behind her, dressed in a loose fitting shirt with a bunny face on it and almost neon pink pants, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Oh no honey, I didn' mean that," she said as softly as she could, "I... I just think yer a bet too trustin'... I mean you trusted him right away." Nero rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms.

"He's been nice to me," she stammered, "I don't really have a reason not to."

"That's still no' a reason," she said, "He could still be—"

"She's right Xanthia," Nero interjected. The girls looked at him confused. "I've only told you about my parents. You don't know anything about me. I could be a horrible teammate, or—" Someone interrupted by clearing their throat behind him. Turning around he saw Glynda Goodwitch standing with her arms crossed and a very stern look on her face.

"Mister N—... young man, male students will be sleeping over there," she said gesturing to a large group of boys on the other side of the room.

"What? You don't trust me," he asked. This only got him a more intense look for her. Nero rolled his eyes as he picked up his sleeping bag and began walking.

"If I were you two I would consider finding a new teammate," Glynda whispered before exiting the room. Xanthia began fidgeting with her fingers as she looked down at the ground. Olivia looked at Goodwitch a bit confused before patting Xanthia on the head.

"It's ok sweety," she said as softly as she could, "Ms. Goodwitch can be a bit harsh sometimes but she's just making sure everyone is following the rules."

"It's not that," Xanthia mumbled, "am... am I the only one who likes Yin? E-everybody else hates him before they even get to know him."

"Well... ya see somethin' in him that no one else does," Olivia said, "but since he is still part of our team I'll do my best ta see what ya see."

"Thanks, Olivia," she said.

On the other side of the room, Nero set up his sleeping bag against the wall, away from the other students. He glanced over when he heard some of the guys snickering at something. What he saw was kind of horrifying. Jaune strolled over to him, dressed in powder-blue onesie complete with feet.

"Hey man I wanted to say I'm—," he began to say. Nero held up his hand, signaling him to stop talking.

"What... the actual hell... are you wearing," he asked in a grumbling tone.

"My pajamas?" Jaune asked looking down at himself, "they were a gift from my mom. I kinda feel obligated to wear 'em." Nero pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a heavy sigh. "What? Are you saying you wouldn't wear a gift from your mother?"

"She's dead Vomit Boy," Nero said.

"Oh man, I'm sorry I didn't know I—"

"Go away before I punch you."

"Alright man no need to get violent," Jaune mumbled as he walked away.

Nero shook his head as he returned to his sleeping bag. He sat for a while, observing the other students as his mind began to drift to his old life, and to Bianca. The conversation from that morning played in his head. A couple of things she'd said stuck out more than the rest. " _I… I needed you._ " " _It's no fun doing this without you._ " Normally she was sarcastic, not showing her true emotions unless they were alone. 'Could she have feelings for me?' He thought to himself, immediately shaking his head to get rid of the thought. 'Could be Beacon itself... or Ozpin. He does have Amaura's scroll, somehow. Maybe she knows something I don't. What if—' His thoughts when a small piece of crumpled paper hit him in the head.

"Bullseye," he heard a voice whisper. Nero looked over angrily to see Xanthia waving. He sighed, giving her small wave and smile. She pointed at the piece of paper, gesturing for him to open it. The letter read 'Hey are you asleep yet?' He stared at her for a moment, unsure of the appropriate response. Nero grabbed his scroll and held it up for her to see. The squirrel faunus nodded as she grabbed her own scroll. She looked at it a bit confused before grabbing a piece of paper and writing something down. He rolled his eyes as the crumpled note flew his way, this time landing right next to him. He picked it up to read 'What's your #?' Nero wrote 2187-LAMUERTE and threw it back. Moments later his scroll beeped, letting him know he'd received a message.

—So are you asleep yet?— 1337-SQUIRREL

—Are you seriously asking that? twice?— 2187-LAMUERTE

—Yep— 1337-SQUIRREL

—No, I'm not asleep yet... I'm skydiving— 2187-LAMUERTE

—Well that's a weird thing to be doing this time of night— 1337-SQUIRREL

Nero stared at his screen for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose.

—I can't tell if you're being serious or not— 2187-LAMUERTE

—I'm just kidding but it is hard to sound scrumptious over test— 1337-SQUIRREL

—Spaghetti oven taco— 1337-SQUIRREL

—Sassafras offer tape— 1337-SQUIRREL

Xanthia let out a squeak of frustration, causing Nero to look over at her.

—forklift auto cucumber!— 1337-SQUIRREL

—Go to sleep Xanthia— 2187-LAMUERTE

—...Hockey— 1337-SQUIRREL

He chuckled as they both tucked their scrolls away and laid down. The young criminal tried to let his mind drift once again, but decided it was better to rest for the night, knowing he would need it for the day to come.

Early the next morning Nero woke to the sound of a very energetic girl declaring that it was indeed morning. He looked over and much to his surprise, saw that it wasn't Xanthia. However, she wasn't far behind as she sprinted over and came to a literal screeching halt right in from of him.

"Hey Yin," she said, a joyous tone in her voice, "are you ready to fight monsters and be awesome?!"

"Right after I take a piss sure," he mumbled, still half asleep. She waved as he left, skipping back to Olivia, who had only then gotten up. She sat up and stretched, moaning lightly.

"Morning sleepy head," Xanthia said.

"Mornin' Xanny," Olivia said through a yawn, "sleep well?"

"Yeah I had this really weird dream though," she replied, "me and Yin were trying to get a train through a small tunnel with my name on it. What do you think that means?"

"Probably that you just really like trains," she said blushing a bit, "I wouldn't think too much about it."

"What about trains," Nero asked, walking up behind them already dressed in his clothes from the previous day.

"Oh uh nothin'," Olivia said nervously, "she had a strange dream about trains. Come on Xanny let's go get ready." Nero shrugged as they walked off to get changed into their battle gear. He pulled out one of his guns and began to tinker with the large cylinder in the middle, removing it and putting it in his jacket. Taking out an identical cylinder he clicked into place, which caused the barrel at the front to slide back allowing the one below it to extend forward.

"Impressive weapon ya got there." He heard a voice say. Nero looked up to see a boy a bit shorter than him wearing a dark green long coat with gold bronze armor around the chest and shoulders, with matching gauntlets. His blond hair was short, shaggy, and swept to one side which complemented his emerald eyes well.

"Thanks... and you are," Nero asked.

"Oh I'm Inigo, Inigo Monty," he said extending his hand.

"Yin Daiyu," he replied, shaking his hand.

"So what kinda weapon is that?"

"Slug shotgun on top, .44 magnum on bottom, and it's also a hammer." He shifted the gun into its melee form.

"Guess you're more of an up close and personal type huh? I'm more of a long range guy myself." Inigo reached behind and pulled out a sniper rifle looking weapon, with a blade underneath the barrel.

"This is Willow, she's also a sword." He shifted the grip back as part of the stock slid up and into the handle. The barrel telescoped in as part of the blade extended out, creating a long straight edge. "This is Wisp."

"Not bad. You any good with it?" Nero asked.

"Oh I'm not just good, I'm the best," he replied changing his weapon back into its sniper form. "I could hit a bullseye from 1,300 yards, with a scope I could do way better."

"Very impressive," Nero said, "you must have damn good eyesight to make a shot like that with iron sights."

"Peep sights actually," he said showing him the small ring on the top of the gun.

Before Nero could say anything Xanthia came running up behind them, and Olivia not far behind her. They were both dressed in their combat outfits from the previous day.

"Hey, Yin! Oh hello there," Xanthia exclaimed, waving at Inigo, "what's your name? Is that your weapon? It looks so cool! What's your sem—"

"Whoa there Xanny," Olivia said with a chuckle, "She gets a bit excited sometimes... well all the time. Anyway, I'm Olivia."

"I'm Xanthia," she said, restraining herself.

"It's nice to meet you two," Inigo said, "I'm Inigo, Inigo Monty. So do y'all three know each other?" Xanthia nodded happily as she wrapped her arms around her two taller friends.

"Yep we're a team," she said, "I mean it is just us so we need one more teammate, but we haven't found one yet." Inigo raised his eyebrow as a look of disappointment crossed his face.

"Give it a second," Nero said. Xanthia stared off into the distance for a moment before letting out a long gasp, pointing at Inigo.

"You should be our fourth team member," she blurted out.

"Well that sounds great," he said, "I mean I'll have to think about it since we don't know each other, but I'm sure initiation will lay everything out."

"Yeah," Nero said, "plus I want to see if you're as good as you say you are."

"Ha well I don't brag," he replied, "I state facts." Xanthia giggled while Olivia only gave a small smirk.

"We'll see," Nero muttered as an announcement came over the P.A. system.

"All first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation. Again all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff for initiation."

"Welp allons-y," Inigo said as he walked off, getting a look of confusion from the other three. They shrugged and made their way to the cliff.

Once there all the first year students took their place on small metal squares that had been lined up on the edge of the cliff that overlooked the forest. Inigo slowly looked over, noticing something strange about the students to his left.

"Hey Yin," he whispered lean over to Nero, "Do those guys look like they're, I don't know, covered in shadows or something?"

"The hell are you talking about," Nero asked.

"Maybe they're characters we haven't unlocked yet," Inigo said, "oh shh Ozpin's talking." The Headmaster and Professor Goodwitch stood to the right of all the students.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest," Ozpin said.

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of 'teams'," Glynda said, "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... today."

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon," Ozpin continued, "So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well." Xanthia turned and waved to her friends. "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

"See, I told you," a ginger girl said as she poked the boy next to her.

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die." Xanthia's eyes widened as she stared at the headmaster.

"I don't wanna die," she muttered, getting the attention of her friend.

"Dunna worry sweety," Olivia said, "I'll protect ya."

"Thanks, Olivia," she replied as she smiled.

"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

"Yeah um sir—," Jaune tried to say

"Good! now take your positions," Ozpin said. Each of the students took their stances, some crouched, others brandished their weapons, while the rest simply stood there.

"Um, sir? I got um... a question," Jaune said.

"Shut it Vomit Boy," Nero said, causing Glynda to glare at him. She tapped her scroll, activating the metal plates underneath each student launching them into the forest, starting with the student farthest from her.

"So this uh landing strategy," Jaune said, "wh-what is it? Are you like dropping us off or something?"

"No, you will be falling," Ozpin replied. The launches continued down the line, Vomit Boy looked over nervously.

"Oh I see uh did you like, hand out parachutes for us?"

"...No, you will be using your own landing strategy."

"Uh-huh yeah, So what exactly is a landing strategy?" Before he could get a response the plate underneath him launched him into the forest. Ozpin couldn't help but chuckle to himself as Jaune flew through the air screaming.


	4. Chapter 4: Truth

As Nero neared the tops of the trees he activated his Semblance which turned his body into smoke, allowing him to pass through the trees unfazed. When he hit the ground he heard what sounded like a girl struggling. It didn't take him long to find Jaune pinned high in a tree by his hood with a red and gold spear. He waved at Nero, who did an audible facepalm.

"Gods...," Nero muttered under his breath, "You manage to get more pathetic every time I see you Vomit Boy."

"I have a name ya know," he said struggling to pull out the spear.

"I don't care," Nero shot back. He started to walk away when a rustling came from the bush behind him. A tall crimson haired girl came into view wearing armor reminiscent of a Greek Spartan.

"Hello there," she said, "My name's Pyrrha. Who are you?"

"Is that your spear," Nero asked, ignoring her question.

"Um yes it is," she said, matter-of-factly.

"Then you missed," he said as he began to walk away.

"What do you mean," she asked, "I did pin him to the tree safely."

He stopped for a moment. "I meant his head." Pyrrha looked at him in shock as he walked into the woods.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he hates me," Jaune muttered.

"Well I wouldn't worry about him," she said, "I mean he's not on Team Jaune now is he?"

"Definitely not," he said.

"So I guess that means you still have a spot open," she asked.

Nero made his way through the forest, coming to a small clearing. He readied his weapons as he heard an explosion in the distance, followed by what could only be described as a unique sight. A familiar squirrel faunus came riding in on a bucking beowolf, screeching like a banshee. She grabbed one of the spines on its back and flipped it over, slamming it into the ground with enough force to crack the earth. The Grimm's body slumped over.

"Aw man I broke it," she said, poking its head. Xanthia looked around almost immediately finding Nero on the other side of the clearing. She squeaked happily and broke out into a full sprint towards him, electricity sparking from her feet. She tried to tackle him to the ground only for him to activate his Semblance, causing her to slam into a tree behind him. She fell back onto the ground with a soft thud.

"Hi Yin," she said as perky as ever, "A-are we still partners." He chuckled, bending over to look into her eyes, making her blush.

"Yes we're still partners," Nero said. He reached down and grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet.

"Come on let's go find that treasure," Xanthia exclaimed, "I hope it's guarded by a fire-breathing princess."

"You mean dragon right," he asked as they began to walk in the direction of the ruins. The squirrel faunus simply gave him a sly look. "Or am I suppose to assume you're always kidding?"

"Pretty much yeah," she replied.

It wasn't long before they ran into a pack a beowolves, rummaging through the forest. Nero readied his weapons but Xanthia stopped him, putting away her own.

"What," he asked, "You scared?" She shook her head.

"No I-I wanna show you what I can do," she said with a hint of nervousness. He shrugged, gesturing for her to continue. She smiled, took a running stance, and began sprinting at the pack, electricity sparking off her body. Xanthia launched herself upward and as she landed in the middle of the pack slammed her fists onto the ground creating an explosion of electricity, and an echo of thunder, disintegrating anything unfortunate enough to get caught in its wake. She grabbed her weapon and shifted it into its ax form, slicing through what little of the pack remained. Nero clapped, walking towards her and chuckling.

"Well color me impressed," he said. She was about to respond when an Ursa charged out of the forest behind him.

"Look out!" she shouted, shifting her weapon into its gun form. Nero dropped to the ground, letting her unload into the bear-like Grimm.

"Thanks," he said as he stood, "just say drop next time though."

"Are you ok," she asked, a bit worried.

"I'm fine," he said, "so that's your Semblance huh? Electricity?"

"Yup I call it Stormbringer," she said confidently, "My big sister came up with it. Oh hey, what's your Semblance?"

"I can turn my body into smoke," he said, activating his Semblance. Even though there was no wind, smoke seemed to swirl and fall off of his now translucent body. "I can't get hit but then again." —He waved his hand through a tree— "I can't touch anything either."

"That's so cool!" She exclaimed, "What's its name?"

"Doesn't have one," he said, shutting it off.

"What?! You didn't name it?" She questioned, pausing for a moment then gasping. "Can I name it for you? Oh please please please."

"No," he said, chuckling, "Doesn't need a name."

"Aww you're no fun," she said as she pouted. Nero shook his head as they made their way towards the ruins. "Ok but if I come up with something really good can you please call it that."

"Maybe."

The young huntress to be beamed, her mind now deep in thought.

"Mr. Wispy?"

"...No."

"Casper?"

"No."

She stopped for a moment, picking up a large leaf and placing it on her head with her squirrel ears holding it in place. Nero stared at her, unsure how to react.

"Just... why?"

"It's my thinking cap duh."

"Oh, of course, my mistake."

She rubbed her chin, continuing to walk next to her partner.

"Smokey the Bandit?"

"No, and we're here." He pointed to a crumbling semi-circular stone structure with 16 small pedestals, some holding chess pieces while others were empty. Behind it was what remained of a castle, its decaying walls covered in vegetation. Xanthia bolted for the black knight piece.

"Horsey!" She exclaimed, holding it close to her. Nero looked around suspiciously. It was dead silent.

"That was too easy," he muttered.

"Well, who said it'd be hard?" Xanthia asked, "Arr now come on back to the cliff with our booty matey!" Her partner couldn't help but chuckle as they started to make their way back to the cliff.

"It's still quiet... too quiet," he said.

"Oh, you're just paran—"

Suddenly a shot rang out from somewhere in the forest. Xanthia looked down to see a large blood stain on her shirt. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as her shaking hands covered the wound. Nero looked back at her in shock. He grabbed her as she was falling and activated his Semblance, turning them both into smoke, allowing him to wisp her behind one of the castle walls. He laid her down and lifted her shirt just enough to see the wound in her side.

"Y-y-y-yin," she said, her voice weak and shaky.

"Shhh don't talk you're injured," he said.

"I'm s-s-s-so sc-sc-scared," she whimpered, "I d-don't wanna d-die p-please." Nero kept the pressure on the wound which caused her to cry out in pain. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small bottle of clear liquid and a pair of forceps.

"You're not going to die ok, I'm not going to lose you. Now bite down on this," he said handing her a short but thick stick.

"Wh-what?"

"I'm going to have to remove the bullet, and that's going hurt like hell, so bite." She did as he told and bit down on the stick. He dipped the tip of the forceps into the bottle, relieved the pressure on her wound and began to dig around for the bullet, blood gushing out. Xanthia's scream of pain was muffled, trying as hard as she could not to move, still clutching the black knight piece. He had almost pulled the bullet out when he heard more shots hitting the wall near them, followed by something neither of them expected. Olivia and Inigo vaulted over the wall, landing not to far from the other two.

"XANTHIA!" Olivia yelled as she dropped her sword and shield, running to her. She put her hands over her mouth, kneeling down next to the shaking faunus. "What's going on why are those guys shooting at students?!" Inigo looked over at the girls, worried, occasionally peaking out from the wall with his sniper rifle Willow.

"I uh... I don't know," Nero said, pulling out the bullet, tossing it and the forceps to the side. He then pulled out a tactical knife from the back of his belt, twisting a knob in the bottom of the handle until a red line appeared. The blade heats up and once it began to glow red he placed the side of the tip on the wound. Xanthia had stopped screaming, only weak moans and sobs escaped her lips. He poured a small amount of the clear liquid on the burn, causing her to arch her body and the stick to fall out of her mouth. He held her free hand while Olivia sat on the other side, gently stroking her hair. Then she noticed some blood on Nero's side, in the same place as Xanthia's wound.

"Yin you're bleedin'," she said, now even more worried, "did ya get hit too?"

"No it's a uh, a side-effect of sharing my semblance," he said, "When I use it on someone with injuries I can transfer some of it to myself." He winced. "I've done what I can to her wound, but we still have to get her out of here."

"Well that's going to be a problem," Inigo said, "whoever they are they're moving up." He fired a couple shots to keep them at bay.

"How many of them," Nero asked.

"Three," he replies, "One with a ballistic mask and some high-end armor but the others just have hoods."

"Weapons?"

"The main one has some kind of DMR, the other two though... I think they just have swords."

"Yin if you and I could get close you think we could take 'em out," Olivia asked.

"Maybe but suppressing fire will only do so much. Can your shield block enough?" She grabbed her sword and shield, hold up the latter. A large translucent gold extension formed around the shield, making it look more like a hoplite's shield.

"My Semblance'll block what my shield canno'," she said, "Inigo, stay here with Xanthia, Yin and I are gonna try an—"

"Come on Reaper quit hiding and face me you coward!" One of them yelled, "I'll kill the rest of them if I have to." The team looked at each other confused.

"Who the fuck is he talking to," Nero asked, feigning ignorance. The others shrugged.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go out first and use my shield to block the gunfire Yin you'll follow behind me. Once we're close I'll focus on the main one and you handle the two with the swords." Inigo moved over to the squirrel faunus's side as Olivia and Nero got up. Xanthia grabbed Nero's hand tightly.

"N-no pl-please don't leave m-me," she pleaded.

"I'll be right back ok," he said. Inigo put his hand on her shoulder and took her hand.

"Don't worry I'm staying right here Xanthia." She tried to smile, but could only grit her teeth. Her face had become noticeably paler, and her breathing was fast and rapid. Olivia and Nero stood up and readied their weapons.

"Ya ready?" Olivia turned back to Nero who switched his weapons to their melee form. "And we dunna need ta kill 'em, just knock 'em out. We'll let the authorities deal with 'em."

"No guarantees," Nero muttered. Olivia charged out, shield in front of her, Nero behind her, weapons poised to strike. As their enemy's bullets bounced off the shield, a long pole telescoped from the pommel of her sword, making it more like a spear. She slammed into the man in the mask, knocking him back while Nero engaged the other two. She thrust the bottom of her spear at his head but he rolled out of the way, transforming his gun into a battle ax. He swung down hard and hit her shield, which cracked her Semblance. She pushed back then lunged forward with her spear, slicing deep into his side.

"AH! You bitch!" He screamed as the head of his ax burst into flames. The man brought it down onto her shield again this time shattering her Semblance, which sounded like glass breaking. She recoiled back, taking a defensive stance as he continued the assault. The bottom two-thirds of Olivia's blade split and rotated outward turning the weapon into a trident. Placing it in a small semi-circular notch in the side of her shield she reactivated her Semblance. However, it was drastically smaller, only being the size of a large buckler. He swung his ax at her side but locked the blade in between the prongs of her trident. Olivia twisted down, forcing the ax head into the ground, as she hit the side of his head with the bottom of the shaft. She swept his feet out from under him then held her blade at his throat.

"Surrender," she said, "Ya've been beaten." He responded by launching a fireball from his fist that hit her in the chest sending her flying back.

"You should run along," he said as he stood, "We're only here for The Reaper. We're not getting paid to kill three more." Olivia stumbled a bit as she got up, holding her chest.

"Who the hell is thes Reaper ya keep goin' on about?"

"Him!" The masked man pointed at Nero, who now stood over the two formerly alive swordsmen. Seeing Nero's back was turned he charged at him flaming ax in hand. Reaper spun around and crossed his hammers to block the strike. He pulled the trigger near the bottom the handle, firing a round from the face of the hammer. The shots hit his ballistic mask and knocked him backward, disorienting him. He held his head in his hands, with her opponent distracted Olivia swung her spear at the back of his neck, knocking him out cold. She looked over at her teammate then at his foes on the ground.

"Those two aren't dead are they?" Olivia changed her spear back into a sword and sheathed it then crossed her arms. He looked down at them.

"...No?"

She sighed and slapped her forehead with her palm.

"I told ya not ta kill 'em!"

He shrugged. "...In my defense, I was left unsupervised."

"Wotevar let's jus get back to Xa—" She was interrupted by a blast of fire that hit both of them sending them flying back. The man in the mask stood weakly as he created a large ball of fire above his head.

"I am not letting you get away again Reaper!"

Olivia stumbled to her feet and tried in vain to activate her Semblance. As he hurled the fireball at them Nero grabbed her and activated his instead. The fireball passed through them, disintegrating multiple trees behind them in a large explosion which knocked the would-be assassin back into the ground. Nero shut off his Semblance, walked over to him and switched one of his hammers to its gun form.

"I'll let your boss know you failed again Cole," he said low enough so that his teammate couldn't hear. Before he could respond Nero shot him in the throat then picked up his ax and slung it over his shoulder. He turned back to see Olivia holding up her sword at him.

"Who are ya?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You jus killed all three of 'em an' now yer pickin' up his weapon!"

"They were trying to kill us, not to mention he thought I was this Reaper guy. So if I didn't end him he's was going to keep coming after us, maybe even succeed in killing Xanthia. She doesn't deserve that."

Olivia thought for a moment, still holding her sword up when Inigo came running over, carrying Xanthia bridal style.

"Whoa whoa whoa what's going on," he asked. She glanced back at him and Xanthia, who looked like she was barely able to move.

"He killed them... all of them, an' he's takin' that one's weapon like it's some kinda trophy!" Olivia shouted.

"So what? You think if we turn them in they're just going to stop?" Inigo asked, "No, they're going to find a way to escape, and continue to do what they do."

"It's no' right!" She shot back, turning towards him.

"I didn't say it was right, but he did what he had to, and now there's three less killers in the world," he said. "Well, two less... since Yin did kill them." Olivia took a moment to think then shoved her sword back into its sheath with a huff.

"Wotevar it's not like we can change what's been done," Olivia said. She walked over and took Xanthia from him, and began making her way back to the cliff. The two guys looked at each other and shrugged before following. Once they got back to the cliff Ozpin and Glynda were waiting for them, not looking too happy.

"Once Miss Jocasta is properly treated I'd like to see the four of you in my office," Ozpin said, walking off before any of them could respond. Glynda took Xanthia using her Semblance and rushed her to the medical ward. The rest of them made their way to Ozpin's office. The trio walked in to see the Headmaster and Glynda standing in silence. They took their place in front of Ozpin's large futuristic looking desk.

"Sir, are we in trouble," Olivia asked, as calmly as she could. Her heart was beating out of her chest, she had never been in any real trouble before. Plus being involved in the killing of three people, even if they were evil, made her anxious.

"No Miss Aeronwen none of you are in trouble," he replied. She relaxed a bit but was still concerned.

Nero raised an eyebrow."Even me?"

"Yes, even you."

"May I ask why we're here then," Olivia asked.

"I will explain everything once we're all here. We are simply waiting for one more," he said. As if on cue the elevator behind them dinged and opened its doors. The squirrel faunus stepped out with a nurse walking next to her. She now had a set of bandages wrapped around her stomach. The nurse walked her over, making sure she didn't collapse. "Hello Miss Jocasta, how are you feeling?"

"Better, it still kinda hurts though," she said, her voice still a bit shaky.

"Do you need something for it," the nurse asked. Xanthia shook her head.

"It's not that bad," she said.

"Now I'm sure you're wondering why I've asked you here," Ozpin said, "Well Miss Aeronwen, Miss Jocasta, and Mister Monty, the three of you are in a very unique situation. Given the events of the initiation, I feel it's in you best interests to know" They looked at each other confused. "Nero If you wouldn't mind introducing yourself, I believe the rest of your team deserves to know what they're getting themselves into."

"Seriously? We're not even going to try and keep it a secret," Nero asked. The Headmaster only gave a look of disapproval in response. The young criminal sighed as he stepped forward and turned to face the rest of his team.

"Y-yin?" Xanthia said.

"My name isn't Yin. My real name is Nero Noire," he said. They looked at him, still thoroughly confused.

"Wot? Is tha' it?" Olivia asked, "Jus yer name?"

"Let me finish," Nero said. He paused for a moment. "I'm The Reaper of Vale." Olivia drew her sword and held the tip against his throat.

"I knew there was somethin' I didn' like about ya," she said.

Xanthia grabbed her arm, forcing her to lower her blade. "What are you doing? He's our friend!"

"No, he's no'!" Olivia spat. The squirrel faunus jumped back a bit, surprised by her friend's sudden outburst. "Don' ya know who he is? He's a murderer, a terrorist! He's the one who bombed that dust store a month ago!"

Xanthia looked at Nero horrified, shaking her head. "N-no it's not true i-it can't be." Her breathing became much more rapid, her heart beating faster, she didn't want to believe what she was hearing. "M-my dad was killed when a d-dust store exploded, b-b-but he couldn't have done that h-he said he was turning his life around for his mom..."

"He lied to ya. Jus like he lied about his name." Olivia put her hand on her timid friend, trying to comfort her. Tears began to fill Xanthia's eyes as she looked at Nero.

"Is th-that true?"

Nero had his arms crossed, glaring at Olivia. "Yes and no. Yes I lied about my past, but I am not a fucking terrorist." He removed his hood and pointed to the scars that littered the right half of his face. "You wanna know how I got these scars? I got them trying to prevent that very explosion. That Dust shop was under the protection of my family, and we failed." He tried to get closer to Xanthia, but Olivia stepped in front of him, holding her sword up again.

"Stay away from her," she said. "Ya could be lyin' about that too." Nero walked forward, turning on his Semblance, causing her sword and arm to go right through his chest. She stood virtually frozen as he got right in her face. Only his pale blue irises were visible in the dark sunken pits where his eyes were, and his skin was more translucent, allowing her to see the bones underneath.

"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about," he whispered so close she could feel his ice-cold breath.

"Miss Aeronwen, I can assure you that he is telling the truth," Ozpin said, "my scouts have been observing him for some time now." Nero turned to look at him, half relived that he was backing him up and half angry to find out that he'd been followed for so long. Olivia lowered her blade, staring at The Headmaster.

"Sir I still dunna know about thes," Olivia replied.

"I don't like this either Olivia," Glynda said, "but I trust Professor Ozpin and his decisions, and I'd expect all of you to do the same."

"Yes ma'am," Olivia said, reluctantly sheathing her sword. Nero moved towards Xanthia, who backed up a bit.

"Xanthia look... I'm sorry about your father," he said, "If it's any consolation, it was us that provided your family the means for a proper burial."

"Th-that was you?"

"Wot's he talkin' about," Olivia asked.

"Well after my dad died my big sister said she got a whole bunch of lien from some girl in white."

"Her name's Snow Angel. She's one of our enforcers... kind of," Nero said.

"Thank you. I-I guess." She hugged him lightly letting a few tears roll down her cheeks. The thoughts raced inside her head. She wanted to keep trusting him, but in light of this new information found it very difficult. Olivia crossed her arms, sighing, still unsure of the situation she had found herself in. Ozpin glanced at Inigo, who had been quiet the entire time.

"Mister Monty, you've been rather quiet. Do you have anything to say on the matter?"

Inigo shrugged. "Not really, I grew up in Vacuo so working with dishonorable people is nothing new to me. I mean uh, no offense Nero."

"None taken. It's probably the nicest thing I've been called."

Ozpin chuckled as he stood up and walked in front of the five students. "Alright, if everyone is ok with the current situation I'll just say one quick thing before we get back to team assignments." His normal look of quiet contentment then changed to a more serious look. "The other students are not to be told about Nero's alter ego. However, the staff have already been informed and told to report to me should anything happen. This information does not leave this room. Do I make myself clear?" All four students gave various forms of acknowledgment. "Good, now let's get back to the to the ceremony." As they began to walk out Inigo leaned closer to Nero.

"So do you just always have a bullet removing kit with you?"

"When you've been shot at as much as I have you learn to carry certain things around."

Before they got to the elevator Xanthia stopped and turned back towards the Headmaster. "Oh, Mr. Ozpin." The nurse helped her walk up to him. "Here you go." She held up the blood-stained Black Knight piece. Ozpin smiled as he placed his hand on her shoulder, he couldn't help but admire her dedication.

"That won't be necessary," he said gently, "You did very well. You may keep the horsey. Although you may want to clean it." She wanted to squeal, but all she could muster was a small smile.

"Thanks," she said. Xanthia joined the others in the elevator as they made their way to the presentation room.


	5. Chapter 5: Rough Start

Ozpin took his time introducing the newly formed teams and assigning them their names. Each team exited the stage afterward and made their way to Glynda to receive the number of the dorm they would be staying in. Some of the students whispered to each other when they noticed Xanthia's bandages and bloody shirt as she made her way on stage along with her friends.

"Nero Noire, Olivia Aeronwen, Xanthia Jocasta, and Inigo Monty. The four of you retrieved the Black Knight piece. From this day forward you will work together as team ONIX, lead by... Olivia Aeronwen." She looked at him a bit shocked but smiled and nodded. On the inside, the new leader was overjoyed to be given the responsibility, but on the outside kept her composure. Xanthia and Inigo congratulated her while Nero was zoned out in thoughts of how much his life was changing. The new team made their way over to Glynda and then to their new dorm, after grabbing their luggage.

"Beds!" Xanthia exclaimed as she jumped onto one of the four beds in the room, she immediately recoiled and yelped, grabbing her side in pain. Nero glanced over quickly as he leaned the ax-gun he'd picked up, against one of the beds.

"Xanthia!" Olivia rushed over to her, helping her sit up on the bed. "Are you ok? It's not bleeding again is it?" Xanthia lifted up her shirt a bit to examine her bandages then shook her head.

"I'm ok I just got a little excited that's all." She blushed and began fidgeting with her fingers.

"It's alright to be excited sweety," Olivia said, "I jus don't want ya ta hurt yerself." She smiled and put her bags on the bed next to Xanthia's. The squirrel faunus grabbed the blankets and wrapped them around herself so that her face was the only thing exposed.

"I have a real bed." She whispered to herself.

Olivia chuckled as she looked at the boys, or boy since Inigo was the only one there. He sat down on the bed across from Xanthia, grabbing his weapon.

"Where's Nero?" Olivia asked.

"Bathroom," Inigo said without looking up. He had a small bottle in his hand, squirting something into the mechanism of his gun then began sliding the bolt back and forth.

"Whatchya doing," Xanthia asked.

"Oh just lubing the action," he replied, "It felt a bit sticky when we were… well, you know." He glanced up at her and smiled before returning to his weapon. With a satisfied sigh, he leaned it against a small bookshelf in between the beds.

"Oh hey Inigo what's your Semblance," Xanthia asked, popping her head out of the blankets.

"Yeah we never did get ta see it durin' initiation," Olivia said.

"Well I did use it you just didn't see," he said, "I can uh, repel objects or stop them in their tracks by creating an invisible force field type thing. Blades, bullets, even smaller explosions. Kinda like discount telekinesis."

"Sounds pretty impressive," Olivia said.

"It does have a cooldown," he said, "depending on how much force it takes to repel or stop whatever was going to hit me."

"It's like a video game," Xanthia said, "so if I throw a car at you how long would it take to be cool again."

Inigo couldn't help but laugh. "Well depending on the weight and velocity of it maybe… ten minutes. Course I'd also be questioning our friendship if you're throwing cars at me." He leaned back on the bed. "So what about yourself?"

"My Semblance? I control lightning itself," she said as she stood on the bed triumphantly. "Watch this." Olivia watched a bit worried as the squirrel faunus held up her hand and conjured a ball of electricity. Xanthia's eyes then widened. "Uh-oh." She began to look around frantically, opened the window and threw it out. They looked at her confused as she crouched down and plugged her ears until a loud thunder clap came from outside. She peeked outside to see if anything had been damaged and sighed in relief.

"Wot was that," Olivia asked, surprised.

"U-um that was an explosive lightning bomb," Xanthia said as she fidgeted with her fingers. "I'm sorry my big sister said I shouldn't use that, o-or my lightning javelin."

"Ya jus need some practice with it that's all," Olivia said.

"Explosive lightning bomb and lightning javelin kinda sound like bad indie bands," Inigo commented. The girls began to giggle. However, Olivia stopped when Nero walked back into the room, looking at him with disdain as if his mere presence had ruined the moment.

"Don't stop having fun on my account," he said as he walked over and placed his mask on the bed next to Inigo's. She glared at him placing her sword on her bed, staying silent, not wanting to dignify him with a response. Inigo and Xanthia exchanged an awkward glance. "Oh, giving me the silent treatment huh? I would have thought that was beneath you, miss high and mighty." Olivia then walked over to him, grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall. The other two looked at her in shock. Inigo got up from the bed rushing over to them.

"Whoa, Olivia what are you doing?!"

"Listen here ya jakey bassa," she hissed, venom dripping from her every word. "I don't know why Ozpin trusts ya, but I don't. I know what ya are. You—" Nero pushed her back causing her to fall back onto the bed. She got up immediately, throwing a punch at his head, which he dodged, causing her to hit the wall. This time he delivered a solid kick to her stomach knocking her passed the bed and onto the floor. Nero moved passed Inigo as she got back up, taking a boxing stance. She launched a quick jab which he deflected, then grabbing her arm he moved his leg behind hers and threw her to the ground. Olivia swept his legs out from under him. She got up and tried to grab him but he activated his Semblance and wisped behind her and grabbed the back of her collar, and launched her to the other side of the room. Xanthia watched timidly as Olivia held her head in pain. She wanted to help her friend but fear kept her firmly in place. All she could do was pull the blankets over her head and try to cover all four of her ears. Nero began to walk towards her but Inigo stepped in front of him.

"Alright that's enough," he said, holding his hands up to the both of them. Olivia ignored him, charging at Nero once again. "I said enough!" Inigo pushed them back using his Semblance, slamming them both against opposite walls. They tried to get up but he kept them down. "Olivia I don't know what the hell your problem is with him, but your gonna have to get over it. Now. And Nero… I don't know, quit being a dick?"

She looked up at him, anger burning in her eyes. "You do not know what he is!"

"And what makes you think you do?!" Nero barked at her. "You keep saying you know me, but you have no fucking clue what you're talking about!"

"I know ya've killed dozens of innocent people, slaughtering 'em jus so ya can get paid." Nero looked at her for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh.

"You may think you know who The Reaper is… but you have no idea who I am."

Olivia looked at him confused for a moment before he continued.

"The media makes me out to be a monster that does nothing but kill people for stacks of lien. None of it's true. I take out criminals."

"That still makes ya a murder," Olivia said, "Yer jus a mercenary with a leash."

"I was never on a leash," Nero said, "I take the contracts I want and the Family helps me do my research to make sure they deserve it."

"How do I know yer not lyin' about that as well?"

"Olivia, I've grown up with people like him," Inigo said, "I don't trust him either, but he's nothing like the mercenaries I've met. I mean he saved Xanthia, that should count for something right?

"W-well…" she said, taking a moment think.

Olivia sighed in frustration, crossing her arms. The situation made her uncomfortable, with all she had heard about him, the news articles, the stories, all painting a very black and white picture of who he was. A remorseless murderer who would kill anyone for the right price, no matter what it took. However, the person she saw still sitting on the other side of the room, the one who had in fact saved Xanthia's life, was not that person.

"Ok, look I'm not about ta trust ya," Olivia said, "but… I'll try to see past wot I thought ya were… if ya give me some answers." Inigo released them from his Semblance allowing Nero to get up and walk over to her, with her eyeing him the whole time.

"Alright... deal," he said as he extended his hand.

"Really," she asked, a bit surprised, "jus like that?"

"The way I see things, you're team leader," he said, "and unless the school explodes I'm stuck with you for the next four years." Olivia stared for a second then shrugged, shaking his hand, she was getting answers. Before beginning her barrage of questions, Nero stopped her.

"Hold on," he said.

She let out a frustrated sigh. "Wot now?" He pointed over to Xanthia, who was under her covers, rocking back and forth. Olivia got a concerned look on her face as she moved closer. The nearer she got she could hear the squirrel faunus whispering something.

"I-it's ok m-mommy and daddy s-still love you," she sobbed, repeating it over and over. Olivia's concern grew when she started to pull back on the blankets.

"Xanthia?" she asked, placing her hand on her shoulder. Xanthia whipped her head around to look at her friend with red puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks. At the moment all she could do was stare, letting a small silence fall onto the room. "Wot's wrong sweetheart?"

"A-are you done fighting?" she asked, sniffing a little.

"Yes we're through fightin'," Olivia said, petting her, then hugging her gently. Xanthia wrapped her arms around her tightly. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know it'd make ya feel this way."

"It's just… m-my parents use to fight like that," she sniffled, "I got scared." Olivia stroked her hair a bit, which started to calm her down.

"Tell ya what then," she said, "We promise not ta fight like that evar again, right Nero?" She looked over at him expecting to see the same stoical face, but that's not what she saw. His face was more a mix of concern and sympathy. He walked over and sat on the bed next to her getting a look from Inigo and Olivia.

"Yeah I promise," he said patting her shoulder. After a moment he reluctantly held up his hand, rolled his eyes and sighed. "...pinky promise." Xanthia looked over at him, a big smile crossing her face, as she happily wrapped her pinky around his.

"Th-thanks," she said, then extended her hand towards Olivia, who pinky promised as well.

"Well now I feel a bit left out," Inigo said. With a cute face, Xanthia held out her hand, wiggling her little finger. He chuckled, walked over and grabbed her pinky. Nero cleared his throat and stood up then sat on the bed opposite them.

"So… you gonna ask those questions?"

"Oh, right first who's The Family," Olivia asked, "Ya've mentioned 'em twice now." He sighed, looking down at the ground for a moment before giving his response.

"Have you heard of the Argento Family," he asked.

"You mean like the crime family?"

"Yeah, I'm essentially an enforcer for them. They took me in when I was young, trained me, gave me the tools I needed to survive."

"...Wot happened ta yer—"

"My parents?" He took a long pause, avoiding anyone's eyes. "I'd uh… I'd rather not talk about it."

"Oh ok, I'm sorry," she said apologetically as Nero shifted a bit, "well, second I guess, what are ya doing here? I mean Ozpin didn' exactly explain much."

"I was on a job when this Huntsman got in my way and captured me. After that Oz… 'suggested' that I come to Beacon. I'm here because he wants me here, for whatever reason."

"Really? That's a wee bit odd," she muttered, "anyway, last question fer now, who were those guys who attacked us? They knew who ya were and were willing to kill students to get ta ya."

"They're part of a splinter group of the White Fang, been after us for a while. The one in the mask was a guy named Cole. He's a completely incompetent mercenary. The other two were goons he got off the street."

"Explains how he basically blew himself up," Inigo said chuckling.

"If he's so incompetent, then how'd get into the school," Olivia asked, "that's not somethin' ya can just do on a whim, plus he did almost kill Xanthia."

"He was trying to kill me. Remember? He missed and hit her, bastard can't shoot for shit. As for how he got in…" Nero shrugged. "Must have had help from whoever hired him. There's no way he could have done it by himself."

"Well at least he's gone," Olivia said. She stopped for a moment to think about the new information she'd been given. Her whole life had been spent knowing the difference between right and wrong, good and evil, black and white. Now she was being presented a gray situation. She was still was unsure of what the right choice was but would have plenty of time to think about it in the coming months. Looking at her new teammates, she sighed as she stood, deciding to take charge in her new role as leader.

"Alright, now that we're gonna be a proper team I'm gonna lay down some ground rules before we go ta bed cause I'm bum tired. One, none of us are alone any longer, we have each other, and that means if you have a problem… it's mine as well. Two, if ya have a problem with the way I run things, let me know, I can't be a leader without loyal followers. And three, if any of us if fallin' behind it's the others duty to pull 'em forward. Alright?" Before she could get a response the tired leader let out a rather loud yawn.

"Hey don't do that," Inigo said with a yawn, "damn now you got me doing it."

"Sorry I can't help it," Olivia chuckled.

"Oh no it's infected Inigo," Xanthia said, giggling. After a moment she yawned too, then gasped in surprise. "It got me!" She fell back onto the bed pretending to choke. "Tell my wife… I love her… bleh." She stuck her tongue out, letting it fall to the side. The others couldn't help but chuckle at her antics.

"Come on silly let's get ready fer bed," Olivia said as she stood.

"I can't I'm dead," Xanthia muttered.

"Well then I guess I'll have ta drag ya in there," Olivia said, grabbing Xanthia's ankles. She lifted her legs up and began to pull when the squirrel faunus shot up.

"Hey!" she protested, blushing a bit. Olivia chuckled as she released her legs. "You could've pulled my pants off!"

"Come on then," Olivia said, "Unless ya want ta undress in fronta these two numpties." Xanthia blushed even harder at the mere thought and rushed into the bathroom with her pajamas, slamming the door behind her. Olivia shook her head as she grabbed her nightwear and walked in after her.

Inigo and Nero sat in silence, each tending to their weapons until Nero stood and grabbed the clothes he would be sleeping in, changing into them. An awkward silence filled the room until Xanthia could be heard shouting through the door.

"Oh wow, your birthmark does look weird!"

"Xanthia!"

The boys exchanged a questioning glance before staring at the door turning away the instant it opened. The two girls walked out, both a bit red faced and in their pajamas.

"I didn't mean to look," Xanthia muttered, "your butt was just right there."

Inigo said nothing as he took his turn changing in the restroom. Nero ignored them, putting one of his guns underneath his pillow, and laid down.

"Jus don't tell 'em wot it looks like ok," Olivia whispered to her.

"I won't I promise," Xanthia said as she climbed into bed.

Once Inigo had finished changing and everyone was in bed Xanthia quietly reached into one of her bags and pulled out a small plush anthropomorphic unicorn wearing an armored dress. She cuddled it close and drifted off to sleep, happy that she was safe and sound at Beacon… for now.


	6. Chapter 6: Class Time

Sunlight flooded in through the window, letting the students know it was time to get ready for the day. Olivia was already up and dressed in her uniform, which consisted of a dark brown jacket with gold trim over a white shirt, plaid skirt and knee-high socks. She began getting her plans ready on her scroll, going over her schedule and checking what classes she would attend. Xanthia yawned, raising her hands over her head to stretch, letting out a soft moan.

"Mornin' sweety," Olivia said.

"Morning," Xanthia said through another yawn, "what time is it?"

"Seven 0'clock I wanted ta get a head start on the day." The squirrel faunus let out a groan and reburied herself under the covers. Olivia shook her head and walked over. "Come on ya wouldn' wanna miss breakfast would ya?" Xanthia slowly pulled down the covers only exposing her squirrel ears.

"Say what now?"

Olivia leaned closer and began to whisper in an almost seductive tone. "All those waffles covered in butter and syrup. Those tasty blueberry and chocolate chip muffins, that buttery toast, jus waitin' to be eaten."

Xanthia pulled the blankets all the way down, revealing her wide eyes and cheerful grin. "You had me at waffles." She tried to run out the door when Olivia grabbed the back of her shirt, holding her back.

"No no young lady, uniform on first," Olivia said, "Then ta the nurse so we can check yer bandages."

"Aw man," Xanthia pouted, "how dare you tempt me with waffles." She giggled as she grabbed her uniform and headed to the bathroom. Olivia chuckled then looked over to the two boys, who were still sound asleep.

"Boys it's time ta get up," she said raising her voice a bit. Both of them just stirred a bit. She huffed, walked over and yanked the covers off them. Inigo immediately shot up and tried to grab the blanket but missed and fell to the ground where he stayed.

"Livia, it's too early to be awake... Isn't it?" He weakly reached up and grabbed his scroll, checking the time. "Yeah, it's way too early."

"Bianca, I told you to stop that," Nero groaned as he sat up on the edge of the bed, holding his head in his hands for a moment before getting up. As Olivia dragged Inigo to his feet, Nero headed straight for the bathroom. The instant he opened the door a startled shriek came from the squirrel faunus inside.

"Nero!"

He slammed the door shut, standing there for a moment in shock as the other two looked at the accidental pervert.

"I think Xanthia is in there," Inigo said, grabbing his uniform. Nero glared at him, walking back to his bed and sitting down.

"I didn't need to see that," he muttered.

"This is why you don't wake guys up early," Inigo said. Olivia shook her head as she looked down at her scroll.

"Well I wanted to get all of ya on the same page," she said, "Wot's yer first class?"

"Same as yours probably," he said glancing at his scroll, "uh... Princess Peach." He stopped and took a second look at the name. "Sorry, it's Professor Peach. I need coffee." Olivia chuckled, looking over the rest of her schedule.

"Wot about the rest?"

"Uh, After Peach for field medicine it's MacLeod for history, Morgan for Grimm studies, and Glynda for combat."

"Hmm, same here. I guess they give teams all the same classes. Nero yer classes the same as well?"

"Yes," he said with his head back in his hands.

"Ya didn' even look."

"Don't need to. You said teams have the same schedule."

Olivia glared at him, about to respond when Xanthia walked out in her uniform, red faced and tugging at her skirt.

"The skirt is so short," she fretted.

"Ya look cute," Olivia said, blushing a bit, "I mean ya look fine. Uh, let's go get breakfast." She didn't even wait for a response before speed walking out the door. The boys exchanged a questioning glance before Inigo walked into the bathroom. Xanthia shrugged and followed Olivia out, catching up with her friend as fast as she could. Seeing that he was alone, at least for the moment, Nero pulled out his scroll and saw that he had gotten a message from Bianca.

—Sorry for being such a bitch the other day— 1212-SNOANGEL

—It's fine but what's been going on lately?— 2187-LAMUERTE

He put the scroll down and began to change into his uniform. The jacket was dark brown with gold trim over a white dress shirt, blue vest and pants that matched the jacket. Nero opted to leave the red tie off and coat unbuttoned. Bianca consumed his thoughts as he made his way down to the mess hall. It was a bit strange seeing her act so unusual, making him worry about her in a way he hadn't before. Normally, because of their shared training, she was calm under stressful situations, but lately, she had been letting things get to her. His thoughts were interrupted when his scroll went off again.

—A shit-ton we're been attacked twice now and Doña Sable has been on my ass way more than she needs to—

—Who's behind the attacks?—

—I don't fucking know and it's pissing me off—

—I wish you were here... I really miss you—

He stared at the screen for a moment concerned.

—I know, but you know why I can't leave—

—Yeah yeah, the wizard of Oz has you by the balls—

—That's one way to put it—

—Can you just call me every now and then... I want to hear your voice—

—Alright.—

—So do you have anything on whoever attacked you?—

—Other than scorch marks fucking everywhere no—

—How many people do we know with fire abilities?—

—Not a lot, there's Cole but I heard something happened to him, then there's his brother Ash, and their sister Ember. What about that Cinder chick? Think she has fire powers too—

—Cole's dead I killed him yesterday—

—What?! How?—

—He attacked me during initiation—

—Cole got into the school? Are you sure it was him?—

—Yes, I've got his ax—

—How'd that moron get in? He's blown himself up more than once!—

—No idea but they have to be working for someone—

—Maybe you're right, I'll keep looking, see if I can find out anything, and you do your homework of something—

Nero typed out the message -Ok just be careful I don't want anything to happen to you-. His thumb hovered over the send button, but instead hit the delete button, erasing the text and sent a different one.

—Ok, let me know if you do—

—Remember to call me sometime ok—

—Yeah yeah, I'll remember—

Nero chuckled as he put the scroll in his pocket, making his way to the mess hall. The second he walked in Xanthia squeaked, happily waving. He looked over and saw the rest of his team sitting down at one of the tables. The moment he took his seat Olivia gave him a disapproving look.

"What," he asked.

"What took you so long huh," Inigo asked, taking a sip of his coffee, "And how'd I get here before you?"

"I was taking care of some business," Nero said.

"Takin' care of business," Xanthia sang, "Every day!" The team chuckled, then Olivia returned to eyeing Nero, crossing her arms.

"What," he asked again, this time a bit more annoyed.

"Go get somethin' ta eat," she demanded. Nero raised his eyebrow, then sighed and got up to go get his food. Olivia muttered something in Gaelic as she returned to her meal. A momentary silence fell over the table before Inigo spoke up.

"You know you're not his mother right," he asked. She froze and looked over at him, a bit surprised.

"Wot?"

"He's big boy Olivia, he doesn't need to be told to eat."

"She did the same thing yesterday too," Xanthia said with a mouth full of waffles.

"Sweety don't talk with yer mouth full." The young faunus blushed then swallowed the bite, apologizing. Inigo sighed and rolled his eyes a bit. Olivia turned back to him to see a look of amusement on his face. "...Wot?"

"We're you teammates Merida, not your children," he said with a chuckle. She looked at him confused by the nickname but understood what he was saying.

"I know that," she admitted, blushing a bit, "but I think breakfast and good manners are important."

"They are but we don't need to be told to do them is all I'm saying," he chuckled.

She paused for a moment trying to think of a way to explain her actions. "Sorry, I'm just use ta havin' ta take care of whoevar I'm livin' with," she said, her face still a bit red.

"Ah, let me guess you're the oldest of the bunch," Inigo said. She put her fork down, placing her hands in her lap. Her happy expression had changed to a more somber one. He immediately took notice. "You alright? I didn't touch a nerve or anything did I?"

"Nah," she said, shaking her head, "It's just that I grew up with four brothers, two older and two younger. When my parents... got separated my dad took the two oldest, me and my two younger siblings went with my mother." She took a pause just as Nero came back and sat down with a half eaten muffin in hand. He looked at Olivia, noticing her less than happy demeanor.

"Not interrupting anything am I," he asked.

"I was just talkin' 'bout my family," Olivia responded.

"Don't let me stop you then," he said. She hesitated, uncomfortable with sharing her personal story now that he had returned. However, she knew they would have to get to know each other eventually and felt it was probably better to get things out sooner rather than later.

"Anyway, after that my mother went kinda nuts. She started pushing me ta become an athlete and basically ignored my little brothers. If she evar did pay attention ta them it was ta yell... or ta hit 'em." The team sat there for a moment until Xanthia leaned over and wrapped her arms around her.

"I'm sorry," she said, "My mommy was mean too." Olivia smiled, finding it cute that she was trying to cheer her up and began to pet her.

"I mean, we did end up goin' ta counseling for it," she said, "plus it led ta me discoverin' my Semblance."

"I'd say you turned out pretty good considering," Inigo said.

"Thanks you two," she said, putting her arms around them. Nero scoffed to himself as he looked away from the display of affection. Olivia noticed but decided to not let it ruin the moment the rest of the team was having.

"Alright alright I think that's enough affection for me," Inigo chuckled, moving out from under her arm. Xanthia began to giggle until let out a sharp gasp feeling her scroll vibrate in her pocket. Her eyes went wide when she pulled it out and saw who it was.

"I'll be right back," she stammered, "I have to uh... go iron... my... cat." The young faunus got up quickly, practically sprinting out of the mess hall. Everyone watched her go with a look of severe confusion.

"Ironing the cat isn't girl code for anything is it," Inigo asked cautiously.

"None that I'm aware of," Olivia said, still staring out the doorway.

Nero narrowed his eyes in suspicion, finding her actions strange, even for her. 'I'm probably being paranoid,' he thought to himself, 'not exactly much odder than what she normally says.'

"Well wotever it is, it's her private business," Olivia said as she stood with her empty plate. "I'm gonna head back ta the dorm and finish unpackin'. You two should probably do the same at some point."

"I'm already unpacked," Inigo said, finishing his coffee, "guys don't usually have a ton to put away, we're kinda simple like that."

"Then stay here and wait fer Xanthia," she said, walking off. Nero rolled his eyes, getting up once she was out of sight.

"Hey where you going," Inigo asked.

"To see if there's a range," he said, without looking back. Inigo's ears perked up a bit. He too wanted to find the schools range, not only to tune his own weapon but also to see what his teammates could do. Especially Nero. He chuckled as he watched him go, shaking his head in slight disapproval for disobeying Olivia's orders. After a few minutes of waiting, Xanthia walked back in wiping her eyes and trying to hide her noticeably red cheeks.

"Hey Inigo, where Nero and Olivia," she asked, her voice a bit shaky.

"They're back at the dorm," he said, "are you ok?"

"Y-yeah I just uh... got in a fight with my um, sister," she said, avoiding eye contact and fidgeting with her fingers.

"Aw I'm sorry." He hugged her and gently patted her head. "I'm sure you two'll work it out, you are family after all." Xanthia nodded and tightened the hug.

"We usually don't fight that long anyway."

"That's good. Well, you wanna head back to the dorm? Gotta get ready for class soon." She nodded, blushing heavily when he put his arm around her. Once they had arrived at the dorm they saw Olivia standing in the middle of the room with a perplexed look on her face.

"Whatchya doing," Xanthia asked, startling her.

"Don't sneak up on me like that," she said. "I was just trying to see if there was any way to use our space better. The beds take up quite a bit." She turned to look at them and noticed Inigo's arm around her making her tense up.

"W-what if two of us slept on the ceiling?" The young faunus tried putting a bit more cheerfulness is her voice. "Then we wouldn't need two of the beds."

"I volunteer," Inigo said, raising his hand. Their leader chuckled as she turned back towards the beds.

"That would be nice," she mused. "What about stackin' the beds?" Xanthia's ears immediately perked up accompanied by a large grin on her face.

"Like bunk beds!" She threw up her arms in excitement, causing Inigo to back up to avoid getting hit. "I love bunk beds. My sister and I use to have them all the time when we were living on our own."

"Bunk bed it is then," Olivia chuckled, putting her arm around her. "So ya wanna be on top or bottom?" Inigo shook his head trying to get the lesser thoughts out of his head.

"Oh bottom definitely," she said without hesitating, "If I'm on top I'll end up falling off a bunch."

"Well we wouldn't want that now would we. Inigo, help me with the bed." He was a bit startled by the sudden acknowledgment of him but followed her over to one of the beds. "Let's put 'em against the wall." Inigo nodded as they pushed one of the beds against the wall, then grabbed the other and hoisted it up, balancing it on the top of the other bed's legs.

"Damn, those things are heavy," Inigo said, sitting down on the bed. Olivia smirked as she shook her head, moving to the other side of the room.

"Fine ya big jessie," she joked, "Xanthia think you can help me lift?" The young faunus shrugged, walking over to the other side of the bed. The girls lifted the bed with ease, putting in on top of the bed next to it.

"Wow Xanthia, you're pretty strong," Inigo commented.

"Th-thanks," she said, blushing a bit. Olivia pulled out her scroll to check the time.

"Alright ya two let's get ta class," she said, grabbing her bag. "Don't wanna be late on our first day."

"Um shouldn't we wait for Nero," Xanthia asked. Olivia sighed, hoping that they wouldn't have noticed his absence. She knew it wouldn't be very leader like to leave a teammate behind.

"I suppose we do have a minute ta spare," she said begrudgingly. They sat down on the beds and began to wait with Olivia tapping her foot impatiently. After about ten minutes She pulled out her scroll and tapped his number, giving him a call.

"What," he asked once he picked up.

"Where are ya you bampot? We have ta be in class in 15 minutes!"

"I'm already here waiting for you."

Olivia hung up with a huff, grabbing her bag. "Come on, he's already in class." She walked out of the room before the other two could give a response. They followed her without hesitating.

Once they arrived in the room they took their seats with Inigo and Xanthia sitting in between Olivia and Nero. The room was a bit larger than other classrooms. Rectangular tables with cabinets underneath and sinks at the end stood in rows, extending all the way to the back of the room. On one side the wall was covered in a translucent screen, and the opposite wall was lined with a long row of computers. The front of the room held a simple chalk board, small wooden desk and a single door with a small window.

"Nero, if yer gonna go ta class ya could at least tell us," Olivia said, taking out the class textbook, thumbing through it.

"I thought you'd already be here," he muttered.

"So, when ya got here an' saw that we weren't here ya just thought you'd take a nap?" She leaned forward, around the other two to get a better look at him.

"Yep, I assumed the same girl who woke us up two hours early, wasn't going to be late to her first class."

"It's not smart ta assume ya arse," she said, closing the book. The team sat in an awkward silence as other students trickled into the room, slowly filling it. After a while Olivia pulled out her scroll to check the time, 9:13. Class was supposed to begin at nine o'clock.

Suddenly a muffled boom and a flash of light came from the door at the front, startling some of them, followed by a woman running through the door and slamming it behind her and holding it shut. She was dressed in clothes that gave her the appearance of a mad scientist. Her long coat had buttons on the shoulder and down the side with her left sleeve ripped off. The black elbow gloves she wore, as well as the bottom of her coat, were very dirty, covered in various paints. The class was completely silent as they stared at her in confusion.

"Um, Miss?" Olivia finally asked. Two lynx ears on top of her head shot up. She slowly turned around to look at the class. The welding goggles she wore along with the rest of her face were covered in a thin layer of soot. The woman chuckled and moved the goggles to her forehead.

"Hello class, I am Professor Primmrose Peach," she stated, beginning the class like nothing had happened, "and this is How Not to Die on the Battlefield 101... or as Ozzy wants to call it, Field Medicine." Xanthia's hand shot up immediately. "Yes, miss uh..." She reached into her pocket to grab her scroll, only to find it empty. Peach turned and peeked back through the window in the door, seeing her scroll on the ground under a thick cloud of smoke slowly being ventilated out. She sighed and turned back to the class. "Ok since my scroll with all your names is in the incredibly toxic room behind me, today if you have a question, state your name then question."

"My name's Xanthia what happened to your face?"

"Oh just a harmless explosion," she said then muttered, "with some toxic results." She sat down cross-legged on her desk, putting her hands in her lap. "Anything else?" Xanthia's hand shot up again.

"Are we going to be blowing things up today?"

"Nope and since all the stuff I had planned to today is probably on fire—" An explosion came from the room behind her— "is definitely on fire we are just going to watch some cute cat videos I found."

A couple of the students let out soft groans while others, like Inigo, simply pulled out their scrolls. Xanthia along with most of the class turned their seats towards the large screen on the right wall. While Olivia wasn't opposed to watching cat videos instead of classwork, she did find it strange that the teacher was seeming unprepared for anything that day. Nero rolled his eyes and put his feet up on the table, leaning back and resuming his nap.

When the class had finally concluded the students began to pack up and leave.

"Oh wait, hold on a second class," Peach said, nearly falling off the desk as she stood. "Tomorrow we will be doing actual school work so be sure to bring a number 2 pencil, an apple, and frosting of your choice." The students looked at her in confusion but gave various forms of acknowledgment. "Oh, and I need to see team uh..." She took off one of her gloves and looked at her hand. "Team XINO." She looked again, tilting her head. "Sorry, Team ONIX."

Olivia looked up a bit worried, after yesterday she had hoped that they were done talking about Nero and the initiation incident. Reluctantly the team walked up.

"Is there somethin' wrong Professor?"

"Nope just wanted to see how my favorite squirrel girl was doing," she said, "Your bandages doing ok?" Xanthia nodded, lifting her shirt and showing the bandage. The gauze that had been wrapped around her stomach had been replaced with a small square held on with some medical tape. "Good." Peach smiled and reached into her desk, pulling out a small lollipop and handing it to her. The squirrel faunus took it happily.

"So you just needed her," Nero said.

"Well I did want to meet the one did that awful job mending her wound up," Peach said. Nero kept the same stoic look on his face but on the inside was more than irritated. Having spent most of his training learning how to kill rather than save, his medical skill certainly lacked.

"Did what I could with what I had," he replied.

"She is alive, so it was successful," she said. "Anyway that's all I needed, I'll see you guys tomorrow." Nero shook his head as he walked away while the other three gave a small wave. "And remember, pencil, apple, shaving cream."

"I thought it was frosting," Olivia said.

"Right frosting," Peach said, "Definitely not shaving cream."

Olivia chuckled, joining her team in the hall. They walked in silence for a bit as each of them, except Nero, tried to come up with something to talk about. Having had no real bonding time the didn't know much about each other yet, at least nothing too personal.

"Was it just me or was she a doubloons short of a treasure," Inigo finally said. The girls looked over at him as Nero muttered something under his breath.

"I didn't wanna say anythin' but she was a wee bit odd," Olivia said.

"I liked her," Xanthia added, unwrapping the lollipop.

"Hmm, I wonder why," Inigo joked, eyeing the candy. She noticed and immediately shoved it in her mouth, wrapper included, eyeing him.

"Mine," she managed to say through her smile. He chuckled as she took it back out and finished unwrapping it.

"Relax I wouldn't take you candy," he said, patting her shoulder. "I'd watch out for Nero though, he's pretty shifty." Nero glanced over at the mention of his name uttering a simple "Huh?". Inigo waved him off as they returned to their silent walk through the halls. They made their way outside to get to the building their class was in. Walking near the edge of the grounds Nero began to glance around letting his mind wander. He looked over at the treeline, thinking back to the moment Xanthia got shot. It was a moment he didn't like thinking about, someone so innocent almost getting killed because of him wasn't something that sat right with him. Especially after what happened to her father. His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed the unmistakable gleam of a scope coming from one of the trees. However before he could say anything it disappeared, followed by a figure running away. Although they were at a great distance he could just barely make out the distinct symbol of a red wolf's head over three claw marks.


	7. Chapter 7: Know Your Enemy

[Sorry this took so long I've been going through some bad personal stuff and got some writer's block. Ideally I'll try to at least do a chapter a month from here if everything is going well.]

Nero stopped, starring at where the figure had been, trying to see anything he could. If one of Cole's family had managed to infiltrate the school, he was definitely in for more than he bargained. However, the strange thing was that if it was one of them, they'd had the perfect shot, and didn't take it. An opportunity none of them would have passed up. They'd been trying to take down The Family for years but found no success due to their severe lack of resources, or at least that's the way it use to be. The recent attacks, assuming it was them, and infiltration of the school seemed to paint a different picture. He tried to push those thoughts to the back of his mind but found himself more worried than he should, unaware that his team had walked on quite a ways without him. Inigo was the only one to notice as the girls were wrapped up in their own conversation.

"Yo Nero," he said, trying to get his attention. Olivia looked back, hearing Inigo call his name.

"Nero? Hello? Wot are ya doin'," Olivia asked. Nero snapped out of his thoughts and looked over at his team, seeing they were a good distance ahead, looking back at him.

"Sorry, thought I saw something," he said catching up with them.

"Somethin' like wot?" Her tone had changed to a bit more concerned. Now knowing what he was, him looking at something so intently made her nervous. They continued walking as he tried to come up with something believable.

"It was just a fox," he said. Olivia glanced over at the treeline, seeing a couple small animals scurrying by, sighing to herself in relief. The initiation had left her a bit paranoid, even though she trusted Ozpin and the school, the fact that it happened at all left her feeling uneasy.

"Nothin' ta worry about then," she said, "come on, let's get ta class." She began to walk a bit faster than before, causing the others speed up as well. They made their way into an older looking building. Paintings of historical figures, grand battles, and various Grimm hung on the walls in between busts and ornate artifacts from previous initiations. It looked more like a museum than a school building.

"Wow," Xanthia exclaimed, "You think they have any unicorn paintings?"

"I don't think so sweety," Olivia said with a chuckle, "Unicorns aren't real." The young faunus looked over at her with a look a shock on her face.

"What?! You mean mythical creatures aren't real? Aw, man, I was hoping to catch one someday," Xanthia joked, unable to keep a disappointed look on her face. She smiled and laughed along with Olivia. They were about to enter the classroom when they heard a voice call out to them.

"Ah, Mister Noire there you are." They looked over to see Professor Ozpin walking up to them. "I need a word with you."

"Just him Professor," Olivia asked, looking at him a bit worried. Yet again something about to do with Nero was interrupting them. She had hoped that with the talk of the initiation in the past, they could be a normal team now. Well, as normal as a team with a trained killer on it could be.

"Yes Miss Aeronwen, just him," Ozpin replied.

"What do you want," Nero asked, getting a sigh from the headmaster. He looked at him a bit suspicious, knowing there was more to it than a simple talk.

"We'll discuss it in my office."

Nero shook his head as the two of them began walking, a bit annoyed that this couldn't have waited. The rest of the team watched him go, glancing at each other, concerned. They knew full well what they had gotten themselves into. However, they also knew that there was something that the headmaster was keeping from them, making their trust in him wane ever so slightly. Olivia adjusted the strap on her bag as she walked into class, trying to focus on that instead. Xanthia followed closely behind. Inigo though, stayed behind in the hallway, crossing his arms, trying to figure it out. Something about Nero's relationship with the Headmaster didn't seem right to him. He sighed and joined his team inside.

High up in the headmaster's office the two sat on opposite sides of his desk. The room was dead silent as Ozpin pulled out a larger scroll and set it on the desk, propping it up, angling it towards himself. Nero glanced around his office, figuring if he was going to be in here, might as well make use of the time. Amaura's scroll was most likely in there somewhere, locked away in a secure place. He made mental notes of the layout, seeing that it was slightly different than when he was in there before. There were a couple of small tables where there hadn't been before and lamps next to each of them. Ozpin didn't seem like the type to renovate on a whim, but then again anything's possible.

"So what do you want," Nero asked.

"I need you to tell me what you know about the three men who attacked you," Ozpin stated.

"They're dead, why does it matter?"

"It matters because they managed to momentarily disable my school's security system in order to get in." His tone had changed to a more serious one. "It is my job to keep my students safe and if more of these mercenaries are targeting this school because of you then I'm going to need to know what you know."

Nero took a moment to think. A good number of questions were still rattling around in his head, now that he knew how Cole had managed to get in. How did they find him? Who hired him? Who had the resources to pull something like that off? Questions that in his current situation he wouldn't be able to answer. He sighed and crossed his arms, knowing that Ozpin wasn't exactly asking for the information. However, he knew he was right. If anyone else was looking for him they would do significantly more damage than Cole did. Innocent people getting hurt because of him wasn't something he was going to let happen again, not after what happened to Xanthia and her father.

"The one in the armor was a man named Cole Sozin," Nero said, "part of a splinter group of the White Fang."

"What about the other two," Ozpin inquired.

"Hired trash," he said flatly. "probably Junior's guys by the looks of them."

"I see." The Headmaster sighed, none too happy. "So this splinter group, Who are they exactly?"

"They're called the Cult of Fundament and there's no way they were the ones who took down your security system."

Ozpin looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"They only have three members left now that Cole is dead. None of them capable of taking down a system of this caliber. Whoever hired him is who you have to worry about."

"And who might that be?"

Nero shrugged. "I have no idea. I've stopped contact with The Family remember."

The Headmaster sighed, taking a moment to weigh his options. This cult wasn't going to be as big a problem as he thought, but now there was someone else to worry about on top of them. An unknown force that had the ability to infiltrate his school on a whim. He knew priority one had to be closing the security breach but as for what to do next, he was at a bit of a dead end. For now, he decided to focus on what they could get out of the way.

"Tell me more about this... cult. What do they follow?" This topic, in particular, had peaked his interest. Ozpin himself was a religious man and knew how devoted people could be to such things.

"Something called The Sword Logic."

"I'm unfamiliar with it."

"It's an ancient religion that dictates the destruction of anyone and anything that can't protect itself."

"To what end?"

Nero paused for a moment to choose his words carefully. The Sword Logic's final cause was, in essence, something not easily described. Something that only those crazy enough to follow it truly knew its meaning.

"An everlasting world." He spoke with a tone that suggested he was trying to figure it out as he said it. "They believe that by killing they prove themselves more worthy of existing and in doing so create some perfect civilization that can't be destroyed."

"And you truly think that they won't be a problem?"

Nero shook his head. "They've been nothing but a minor nuisance for years."

"Hm, regardless I think I'll be keeping my eye out for them, just in case." Ozpin made a few more notes in his scroll. On the inside, Nero was a bit relieved, with him being virtually cut off from The Family he wasn't able to get the information he normally would. So having an extra set of eyes on them gave him a little peace of mind. However, he didn't want to let Ozpin see so he just scoffed. "Do they have any unique abilities I need to be aware of?"

"Ember and Ash have the ability to control fire but Azula, their leader, is the one you want to watch out for. She can siphon someone's aura by touching them and if she does she can take their Semblance."

The Headmaster's expression changed to one of surprise, even though with a face like his it was hard to tell.

"What happens to the people she does this too?" He was fairly certain he knew the answer, but for the sake of being sure, he had to ask.

Nero was quiet, looking down at the ground for a moment before responding. "...They die." His voice was softer, more bitter than his normal dry delivery. Ozpin nodded, sighing to himself. This new information was more troubling than he'd anticipated. Not only did this Cult have a leader that could steal someone's Semblance, but whoever they were working for had more than enough resources and know how to bring down a school's security system. Beacon was far enough outside Vale City that it was usually unaffected by the criminal affairs that went on in the lower parts of the city. But if Nero's past was going to keep following him so closely, he'd have to take extra measures to ensure the promise he made to Amaura stayed sound.

"Alright Mister Noire I think I've got the information I need, thank you. You may return to your class."

Nero shook his head as stood and walked to the elevator, tapping the button to call it. As he waited, his mind wandered back to the initiation, and to Cole. While he was glad to be rid of him, something about how easy it was to kill him didn't feel right. Cole had never been anything close to competent when it came to being a mercenary but he could hold his own in a fight. It was almost as if he wanted to die. The abrupt ding of the elevator brought him back to the real world, irritating him a bit. He stepped in and pressed the ground floor button, giving the Headmaster one last look of resentment before the doors closed.

Ozpin spent a few minutes looking back over his notes, before closing the scroll and setting it aside. He got up and began walking towards the elevator when he felt a slight chill in the air, followed by a message alert on his scroll. He pulled it out to see a message from Amaura on screen, 'Open the window would you'. He reluctantly glanced back to see her sitting on the ledge outside the window behind his desk, giving a small wave. Her outfit had changed slightly since their last meeting. The long gray cloak she'd previously worn had been replaced with hooded duster coat and some light armor on her chest and shins. Grayish brown bandages covered her arms, midsection, and thighs, giving her an almost mummy-like appearance. He chuckled a bit as he walked back and opened the window, allowing her to enter.

"Not going to barge in like last time," he asked.

"Thought I'd be polite instead," Amaura replied with a cheeky grin on her face, which quickly faded. "So… I heard you had a little incident during your initiation. Is Nero ok?" He looked at her with a slight smirk on his face, finding it sweet that she was so concerned for him.

"Of course he's fine. You just missed him actually." He could see the relief that crossed her face, if only for a moment.

"Good. Wouldn't want to have to hurt you if anything happened to him." She held a menacing for only a second before a smile crept its way onto her face.

"Even when we were young you couldn't beat me," he said, with a chuckle. Amaura shook her head and gave him a playful push.

"Yeah, well, you haven't seen me in 10 years. Things change Ozzy."

"That they do."

A fleeting nostalgic smile appeared on her face as she turned and walked towards the window. She couldn't help but let her mind wander back to the past, back before she was Amaura, back when she was someone else.

"Amaura wait…,"Ozpin said.

She stopped but didn't turn back to face him, naively hoping that he wasn't about to start asking questions. Ozpin didn't know where to start. So many questions were filling his head. What had happened all those years ago that had forced her to stay hidden for so long? How did she even survive? Why now, of all times, would she need to bring Nero to a place like Beacon? Amaura glanced back over her shoulder.

"What, Ozzy?"

He sighed to himself, deciding it would be best for those kinds of questions to wait. However, there was something else that bothered him. "How did you know about the incident?"

She turned back to face him, raising her eyebrow. "Ozzy, do I detect distrust in your voice?"

"Not distrust just… concern. I'm in the dark about what's going on with you and Nero. I need you to trust me completely."

"I am trusting you, Ozzy. I'm trusting you with my scroll and my s—… and Nero. I just can't explain right now. I'm sorry."

"...Am I ever going to get an explanation?"

Amaura paused for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "Yes. You will. I promise… but for now, I need to keep Nero as far away from what's going on as possible." He walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder, giving her a concerned look.

"And what is going on?"

Her expression suddenly changed to a much more stern one. "Something I don't need you involved in Ozpin." He took a step back, surprised at her sudden change in tone and the fact that she hadn't used a nickname. "All I need you to do is keep him safe… He's all I have left." The Headmaster sighed, his concern for her only growing.

"Does this have anything to do with the Cult of Fundament?"

Amaura shot him a look of shock, unable to say anything for a moment. She had hoped that he wouldn't have found out about them, feeling it would be better for her to deal with them herself. But she knew that was naive to think.

"I. Can't. Say. If I did it would put everyone here in grave danger." She turned and began walking towards the window and this time Ozpin didn't stop her. He could sense the burden she felt was on her shoulders, wishing he could do something to help. "Oh and Ozpin, leave Qrow out of this. I don't want to hurt him again."

The Headmaster could hear a faint hint of pain in her voice, causing him to grow even more concerned for her. But before he could say anything she was out of the window in a cloud of ash, leaving behind nothing but a chill in the air.

Team O.N.I.X. walked into their next class, immediately noticing the plethora of Grimm heads on the back wall. A saber with a dust cylinder in the crossguard hung with a similarly styled dagger above the large segmented chalkboard. The room itself was large and semi-circular with a sloped floor and long curved desks. Once again they were the first ones there and so, had free reign on where they would sit. Taking spots near the front Olivia opened her book and began skimming through it.

"Alright now this is a class I can get excited about," Inigo said, "something we'll actually need to do our jobs." Olivia opened her mouth to say something but didn't get anything out before her friend interrupted.

"I know right," Xanthia exclaimed, "I can't wait to learn how to really kick some Grimm butt!"

"You seemed to do fine during the initiation," Nero said. She looked over and blushed a bit, having almost completely forgotten anything before getting shot.

"Really now?" Olivia leaned in closer, turning the young Faunus's face even redder.

"Y-Yeah I took out a whole pack of Beowolves by myself," she said with a hint of embarrassment, "I mean most of it was my Semblance though." Xanthia had never been one to brag, preferring to let her actions do the talking when anyone would let her.

"Wow, I wish I could've seen that," Olivia said. Her mind wandered as she pictured it, causing her cheeks to flush a little red.

"Even I have to admit it was impressive," Nero said.

"Thanks, guys," Xanthia said sheepishly. They returned to sitting in relative silence as more students slowly filled the room, chattering among themselves. Inigo pulled out his scroll and began to play a game involving a jumping unicorn, catching Xanthia's attention. She watched, wide-eyed and smiling. "What is that?"

"Robot Unicorn Attack 2 property of Adult Swim," he said, "It's so addicting, I could play it for hours and I'm dead..."

"Oh sorry did I mess you up," she asked.

"Nah, I would have died anyway," he said with a chuckle, "I suck at this game." Xanthia scooted closer to him, leaning on him to get a better view. Olivia glanced over, sighing to herself as a wistful look crossed her face. She returned to the textbook trying to distract herself when a woman walked past them placing a piece of paper in front of each of them. She was striking, to say the least. Her hair was tied in a bun and her suit-like attire gave her a very professional demeanor. However, her most noticeable features were the scars over her left eye and her missing left arm. The students watched silently for a moment, trying not to stare.

"I hope you don't plan on playing that during my class Mister Monty," she said, her tone flat. "And please refrain any displays of affection Miss Jocasta. That's what the dorms are for." Inigo immediately turned his scroll off and put it back in his pocket, as Xanthia scooted away from him, blushing a bit. Once she finished handing out the papers, she went to the front of the class, clearing her throat to get their attention.

"Hello class," she began, "My name is Professor Morgan and you will address me as such. No nicknames. In this class, you will be learning everything we know about the prey you know as Grimm. How they move, how they fight, and most importantly, how to kill them. Take what you learn in this class to heart. Fail to do so… and it will cost you dearly." Some of the students began whispering among themselves while others sat in silence, unable to keep from staring at her arm. "The papers I gave you are to assist you in taking notes on today's lecture. You will turn them in at the end of class to be graded."

The students let out a collective groan as she began her lecture. She pulled out multiple detailed charts showing various Grimm sketched out. Each minute seemed to drag on and on as she described them and each of the variations in great detail. Her virtually monotoned voice had started to put some of the students to sleep, including Inigo. When she stopped for a moment to let the class copy down a diagram, he stared at Professor Morgan, a sudden realization hitting him.

"I figured it out," he muttered.

"Wot," Olivia asked, glancing over at him. She too had started to feel a bit drained by the lecture.

"I figured it out," he repeated, "She looks like Glynda and Qrow had a teleporter accident." Olivia looked at him confused, turning her attention back to the teacher, trying to see what he meant. Nero looked over at the mention of Qrow's name.

"How do you know Qrow," he asked.

"He's a teacher at Signal," Inigo said. Nero was about to say something when he noticed the Professor glaring in their direction.

"Is there something you'd like to share with the whole class gentlemen?" The whole class was silent as they turned their attention towards them. Inigo felt his face heat up, unable to speak for a moment.

"Uh, no ma'am," he choked out. She looked at Nero then to the clock, the wheels in her head turning.

"Well, since we have just enough time for small demonstration—" Olivia raised her hand, hoping to be chosen. Morgan rolled her eyes. "Mister Noire, change into your combat gear." He looked at her surprised by her sudden focus on him. Olivia lowered her hand slowly in disappointment, watching as Nero got up and exited the room. She couldn't help but wonder why the Professor chose him instead of her when he didn't even seem interested. Dismissing the thought, she looked back at her notes, checking them over.

It didn't take Nero long before he reentered the room, dressed in his combat gear. Morgan reached up and grabbed her saber off the wall as a cage emerged from the floor to the left of her desk. The young huntsman took his place across from the cage, readying his weapons, shifting both into their melee form, not wanting to accidentally shoot into a crowd of students. The cage shook, a guttural growling coming from inside as the Professor approached, readying her blade, bringing it down on the lock and opening the cage.

The door swung open violently as a Beowolf jumped out. It began swiping at him, its movements wild and erratic. He dodged the first few slashes, having to resort blocking the rest. The beast's claws made a loud clang as they came in contact with his hammers, pushing him back with greater strength than he'd anticipated. Moving towards to offensive he swung at its head, landing a single solid strike. Unfortunately, this only seemed to piss it off. The Grimm launched itself at him, flailing its limbs wildly, spit flying off its snarling maw. Nero activated his Semblance and moved behind the creature only for it to slam it's tail into him, sending him flying into the wall, knocking him unconscious. Some of the students gasped while others simply sat there in shock as Morgan let out a heavy sigh, rolling her eyes.

"This is what happens when you're unprepared," she said. The Beowolf moved slowly towards Nero as if it expected him to try and attack it by surprise.

"Professor, the Beo—," Olivia tried to speak, but Morgan cut her off.

"Miss Aeronwen, if you wish to get my attention, you will raise your hand and wait to be called upon," she said. Olivia watched the Grimm as it got closer and closer, getting ready to pounce.

"Prof—"

Before she could finish the Beowolf pounced. Olivia jumped over the desk, running over to Nero, blocking the pounce with her Semblance, knocking it back. Snarling, it rose its paw to continue its attack but before it could, Morgan's blade pierced the Grimm's head. She glared at Olivia, as the Beowolf dropped to the ground.

"Miss Aeronwen return to your seat... now," Morgan said sternly. Olivia looked at her a bit shocked. She was being scolded instead of commended for taking action.

"Professor Morgan I was jus—"

"I'm well aware of what you were doing, I'm not an idiot," she said with a growing irritation in her voice, "but you will allow mister Noire to succeed… or fail on his own accord. Heroics like that can get you killed." For a moment Olivia didn't know how to respond.

"I wasn't just gonna stand by and watch him get hurt," she said, "that Beowolf could've killed 'em!"

"And what makes you think I would have let that happen? If I didn't know any better I would say that you think I'm a lousy professor." Olivia felt her face heat up in embarrassment, finding herself a bit flustered with everyone staring at her.

"That's not wot I meant at all I just—"

"Take. Your. Seat."

Her head hung a bit low as she obeyed, avoiding peoples gaze. She wasn't use to being scolded, especially not in front of an entire classroom. As she sat down Xanthia looked over, feeling bad for her friend. She understood how she must be feeling, having been scolded quite a lot during her earlier school days. The professor hung her sword before walking over to Nero, squatting down and giving him a light slap on the head. He stirred before regaining consciousness, holding his head as Morgan pulled him to his collar.

"Fuck," he muttered, seeing that the Grimm was gone. The Professor shook her head in disappointment, gesturing for him to take join his team. Nero holstered his weapons and returned to his seat, clenching his fists. Inigo and Xanthia sat there awkwardly with their teammates, unsure of what to do. Neither of them were exactly good at comforting someone in distress.

"Now, as I was saying before being so rudely interrupted," she began, glancing quickly at Olivia, whose face turned red. "That is what happens when you're unprepared. Mister Noire was lucky that this was a controlled situation. The real world isn't as forgiving as I am." The class glanced to one another nervously, unsure of what to think. A silence filled the room until it was ended by the bell ringing, freeing the students. "Class dismissed. Don't forget to hand in your notes before you leave."

Olivia packed her stuff with a bit of a huff and turned in her notes along with the rest of her team. They only made it a few feet out of the room when she began to vent.

"Ugh, can you believe her," she asked angrily to nobody in particular, "She wasn't ev'n pay attention after Nero got knocked out, she just mocked 'em. That's wot happens when yer unprepared." Her accent seemed to get a bit thicker with each word. "If my teammate is in danger you better believe yer arse I'm gonna do somethin'!"

Xanthia watched nervously as her friend boiled over in anger, wanting to find some way to make her feel better. Her ears perked up a bit as something came to mind, at the right moment the young faunus reached over and grabbed Olivia's hand, beginning to walk closer to her, resting her head against her arm. The team leader looked over at her then down at their hands blushing a bit.

"It's something my sister use to do when I was littler," Xanthia said, glancing up. Olivia's blush deepened, surprising herself at how much of a calming effect this squirrel faunus had on her. Her anger had almost completely melted away, the instant their hands met.

"T-thanks," Olivia said, unable to keep herself from smiling.

"Aw, how cute," Inigo joked. Olivia looked over, playfully glaring at him.

"Shut up," she chuckled, punching him in the shoulder. He grabbed his arm as dramatically as possible, stumbling forward making noises of fake pain. Olivia just shook her head and kept chuckling while Xanthia laughed.

"Oh… Oh, gods, she got me. Nero I—" He tried to lean on his teammate for support but was practically shoved off.

"Get off me," Nero said harshly.

"Whoa sorry, you alright?" Inigo immediately stopped the wounded act, looking at him with a bit of concern, along with the rest of his team. Nero had been pretty stoic up until this point, except for when he and Olivia fought, so it caught him off guard.

"I'm fine," he replied in the same harsh tone. Inigo glanced over at the girls with a look that said 'yeah I'm not buying that either'. Looking back to Nero, a mischievous expression crossed his face.

"Are you mad cause you got your ass kicked?" Nero slowly turned his head, shooting him an angry look.

"Yes, Yes I am," he said, which surprised Inigo. He had expected his teammate to be more defensive about what happened. "I'm no stranger to getting my ass kicked… but I have no idea how that fucking thing hit me while I was in my Semblance."

"Yeah, that was kinda freaky," Xanthia said.

"Maybe ya just can't go through Grimm," Olivia guessed.

"I've never fought a Grimm before so it's possible," Nero said. He rubbed the back of his head as it still hurt from getting thrown into a wall. If he couldn't go through them it would be very problematic for his usual fighting style.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about that too much," Inigo said, "I mean it's not like it's gonna be our job to fight them or anything." Once again Nero gave him an angry look, only getting a chuckle from Inigo.

The team headed back to the dorms to change into their combat gear for Glynda's class. Xanthia immediately grabbed her bag and ran into the bathroom, knocking another one of her bags to the ground, nearly spilling its contents. Olivia chuckled and walked over and picked it up, noticing something strange beneath the plush unicorn. A small white half mask with slits for eye holes, or at least what it looked like. She looked at the bathroom door debating on whether or not to reach in and find out. Luckily, the door swinging open made her choice for her, quickly setting the bag down on the squirrel Faunus's bed.

"Ugghhh, I hate that uniform," Xanthia whined, "I don't like not wearing pants." Olivia chuckled nervously as she grabbed her own gear and took her turn in the bathroom, hoping Xanthia hadn't seen her looking in her bag.

"Eh, pants are overrated anyway," Inigo said. Nero shook his head chuckling to himself. He'd noticed Olivia's look of concern when looking in Xanthia's bag, making his suspicion of her grow ever so slightly.


	8. Chapter 8: Darkness Rising

Down in the city of Vale, Amaura made her way across the rooftops to an abandoned warehouse in the industrial district. She was going there to meet with Bianca to not only update her on Nero's situation but to discuss the recent attacks on The Family. Once inside she took a spot in the rafters and sat down to wait. As she did her talk with Ozpin lingered in her mind, leaving her a bit annoyed, more with herself than with him. She didn't like keeping him in the dark, but it was the only way to make sure he stayed away. A rustling down below interrupted her thoughts. She pulled out a set of oversized revolvers with a large curved blade that extended from underneath the barrel to the handle and cautiously she jumped down. Peaking around one of the columns, she saw Bianca walking down the pathway and looking around. Amaura smirked and put her mask on, slipping into the shadows. Bianca glanced around scanning the area. Light filtered in through the broken glass of the windows, catching her dual colored eyes and shining off what little of her robotic right arm was polished. Her pure white hair and swept to the right with the left side shaved very short, giving a punk-like appearance. The warehouse was eerily quiet, with the only sound coming from the dirt crunching beneath her feet. She began to feel like she was being watched, gripping the handle of her gun. Amaura appeared behind her silently in a cloud of ash, getting as close as she could.

"Boo!" Bianca whipped around, ready to fire only to see Amaura's mask inches from her face.

"Madre di Dio!" She shouted and she stumbled back. Amaura threw her head back in laughter, fighting the urge to actually slap her knee. Bianca shot her an angry look as she shoved her weapon back in its holster. "Amaura, what the hell?! I almost shot you!"

"I couldn't help it," she said as she finished laughing, removing her mask and hood. "It was too easy."

"Well, I'm not in the fucking mood right now alright." She sighed heavily and crossed her arms. Amaura rolled her eyes, shaking her head a bit. She knew how Bianca could be having trained her a majority of her life.

"Ok, ok let's get down to business then," She said changing her tone to a more serious one, "You said you had something new, show me." Bianca pulled out a small jagged crystal, handing it over.

"I found that at one of the attack sites," she said.

"It's a rock," Amaura said dryly.

"It was pulsing red… like it had a heartbeat," Bianca noted nervously. Amaura glanced at her then continued examining the crystal, turning it over holding it up to the light. Then she dropped it on the ground, pulled out her weapon and shot it, shattering it into a million pieces. A crimson mist rose from them then dissipated with a faint hissing sound. "What the hell was that?"

"Doesn't matter," she replied, "but it's definitely the Cult."

Bianca sighed with a smile, a little relieved. "Then we've got nothing to worry about right? I mean, they're small time right?… Amaura?" She looked to her mentor, hoping for confirmation but got only silence in response. The look on Amaura's face had changed to one of contemplation and concern, like someone trying to figure out their next move in a losing chess match.

"Bianca I want you to go to Beacon, stay there with Nero and your ram friend, whatever her name is until further notice."

"What?! Why? Just because it's the Cult behind the attacks?"

"This is above you now." Bianca took a step back, insulted by her words.

"Above me? What the fuck does that mean?" Amaura looked away knowing that those probably weren't the right words she'd needed and so took a moment to choose her next words carefully. She then looked back at her, staring straight into her eyes.

"...It means what Sable and I have told you about the Cult is a lie." Bianca simply stood there for a moment, stunned. Despite what they did for a living Amaura and her mother, Sable, had always been truthful with their students. Now, to find out that they'd lied to them for so long about something like this made her very uncomfortable. If that wasn't enough she could see that worry in her mentor's eyes, however subtle it was, only adding to her unease.

"So what?" Bianca shrugged, trying to act like it didn't affect her. "How much different could a bunch of religious nut jobs be from any other gang we've taken down?"

"Those other gangs are nothing compared to the Cult."

"Well, how?"

"Because the Cult has faith in something you can't even fathom."

Bianca looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "You are really not helping your case."

Amaura sighed heavily trying not to let her growing irritation show through. "I do not have to explain this to you, Bianca." She stepped uncomfortably close. "You will go to Beacon… or I will drag you there. Understand?" Her eyes seemed to pierce Bianca's soul, rendering her speechless for a moment.

"Y-yes ma'am," she finally chocked out.

"Good." Amaura then turned and began walking away, muttering to herself. "Just gonna have to figure out how to tell Ozzy I'm sending him another one." Bianca clenched her fists, she hated being intimidated, especially by Amaura. The woman gave her the creeps even without the mask. However, now that she wasn't in her face she had a moment to think.

"W-wait," Bianca said, "Why? Aren't we supposed to be getting Nero out of Beacon… with your scroll? Isn't that why we sent Melanie there?" Amaura stopped dead in her tracks, realizing she had a choice to make. She could either lie and say no or she could tell Bianca the truth of why Nero was there. In her worry, she'd neglected to keep up the ruse that Ozpin had somehow stolen her scroll and was using it to keep Nero at Beacon. Since she'd already revealed that they'd been lying about the Cult she saw no reason to hide this information either.

"No. I _gave_ Ozpin my scroll with the information he needed to keep Nero there." Bianca once again looked at her shocked and now angry.

"You're the reason he's stuck there?!"

"He is safer there! And you will be too."

"Safe?! We're criminals! Safe was never part of the job description!" Bianca held out her right arm. "You think this happened because I was safe?" Amaura shot her an angry look that shut her up almost immediately.

"I will not have either of you two getting killed because of my mistakes," Amaura said with a more sinister tone in her voice, then shifted quickly to a softer tone, "Go to Beacon… please. I'll explain things to Ozpin and pray to The Sky that he'll understand."

Bianca opened her mouth to say something but closed it, crossing her arms in a huff. She didn't like being told what to do, especially when her mentor thought something was too dangerous for her. However, Amaura was acting much different than she ever had. Normally she was tough on them, pushing her and Nero even when they were tired, usually with good results. Now that she was sure the Cult was involved, her tune had changed dramatically. She was trying to hide them away, and it made her nervous.

"Alright, fine," Bianca conceded, "But at least give me something about the Cult. A _good_ reason why I should just run away." Amaura took a moment, choosing her words very carefully. Too much information and she be putting her in danger, to little and she'd be watering the seeds of distrust that she knew were now in Bianca's mind.

"There's way more than just the three of them. Each of Azula's children controls their own acolytes, each—" Amaura suddenly turned away and began to glance around the warehouse, pulling out her weapons and putting on her mask. "Weapons out. Now." Bianca unholstered her gun, flipping a switch take off the safety. She turned around, standing back to back with her mentor. The two of them stood still and silent until a fireball flew from out of nowhere towards them. Amaura threw up a shield spell in front of Bianca causing the attack to crash into it. She then turned her body to ash and flew towards where the fireball had come from. Behind one of the large crates, she found a Jackal faunus girl dressed in dark robes with a very district symbol on the chest, a sword set vertically in a compass. The emblem of The Sword Logic. However, the most noticeable thing was the three-eyed mask she wore. The girl launched another attack which Amaura easily dodged, retaliating with a blow to the head, shattering the girl's mask.

"Hypocrite!" she shouted as pulled out a pistol with a curved blade that extended from the front to the bottom of the handle. Flipping the blade outwards, her weapon became a sword that resembled an Egyptian khopesh. Amaura growled transformed her own weapons into sickles, the crescent blade gleaming in the low light of the warehouse.

"Such a big word coming from a little Ember," she retorted. Ember clenched her fist, shouting as each swing of her sword ignited the air, sending slashes of fire that seemed to burn reality when they flew through the air. Each one hissed by Amaura, singeing her cloak. "You should have stayed home with mommy." Sparks flew as their blades clashed together, illuminating the air around them.

Bianca watched with a slight smirk on her face, confident that her mentor would win the fight. She was about to holster her gun when two more cultists came out of the shadows trying to sneak up on Amaura. Taking aim, she opened fire on them, hitting one in the leg. The bullet bounced off his aura but still made him drop to the ground in pain, clutching his leg.

"Get up you pansy," the other cultist said. He then looked up at Bianca and charged her, wielding a very simple sword and shield. Bianca chuckled as she threw off her snow white jacket revealing an icy-blue waistcoat that exposed her shoulders and upper back. With a wave of her hand and a small ping sound, she activated her Semblance causing an explosion of snow to erupt off her back in the shape of wings. Throwing her hand towards to the cultist, she summoned a cascade of ice that traveled along the ground toward him. As he sidestepped the attack she opened fire on him, this time hitting his shield. She sighed heavily as a single-edged sword appeared in her hand, just in time to block his attack.

"You're pathetic for using a gun," he snarled. Bianca scoffed and stomped on the ground, causing a spike of ice to impale him in the leg. He screamed in pain as she kicked him back breaking the spike off. Despite his injury, the cultist got back up and swung at her, which she easily dodged. She then slammed her foot on his wound making him collapse on the ground, his aura crackling around him.

"And you're just plain pathetic," Bianca said, waving her hand, encasing his arms and legs in ice. "I'll be back for you later." She heard a scream and looked up expecting to see Amaura standing victorious over foes. However, what she saw horrified her. Her mentor laid on the ground with a knife in her back, motionless. Ember stood over her about to deliver the final blow when Bianca opened fire on them, only to be greeted by a wall of flames. In retaliation Bianca slammed her hand on the ground, covering it in ice and extinguishing the flames. Ember looked over surprised as Bianca's ice blade flew straight at her. The other cultist, who was wielding a short sword, blocked the attack. Bianca charged at her with a furious scream, throwing down her gun and conjured two more ice blades, holding them upside down. She launched a flurry of attacks that the girl was barely able to block, let alone counter. The cultist started to retreat and slipped on the ice, her arms and legs becoming trapped as it crawled up. Bianca turned her attention to Ember, teeth clenched, anger burning in her eyes.

Ember began to back up, seeing her opponent's display of raw power. However, she couldn't help but feel it was familiar somehow, like seeing an old friend after years apart. Before she could figure it out Bianca launch a blast of ice at her, disorienting the jackal faunus for a moment. Her faunus ears folded back as she launched herself forward. Each clash of their blades permeated the air around them with sparks and mist, making it harder for both fighters to see the longer they fought. Bianca took the opportunity coat her fist in ice and deliver a solid blow to her opponent's chest, knocking her to the ground. She then picked her gun back up, aiming right between Ember's eyes. Now that she had a moment to get a good look at her Ember's expression relaxed, the realization of who stood before her finally clicking.

"B-Bianca?" Her tone was inquisitive, as her heart began to race. Bianca kept her guard up but ignored her question, instead turning her attention to Amaura, who was still laying still. Noticing her eyes, Ember looked over at Amaura as well now a bit concerned. She could see the hate behind her eyes, just begging for a reason to pull the trigger. "Bianca wait. It's me it's Ember. Remember?" Bianca glanced back at her and looked her up and down. She did remember. When the two of them were young Ember and her two brothers had lived with The Family, due to her mother's absence. They had been as close as two girls could be. Then Ember's mother returned and took her best friend away, a piece of her gone too. Bianca shot the ground next to Ember, causing her to jump.

"Start talking," Bianca spat. "Now."

"I'm here looking for Cole," she replied, "he hasn't responded to any attempts of contact in months and mother sent me to find out why." Bianca lowered her gun slightly but kept trained on the jackal faunus.

"That doesn't tell me why you've been attacking us," Bianca said, trying to get the subject off of Cole.

"We haven't," Ember said defensively, "at least not my acolytes. I was instructed to determine Cole's situation and nothing more." Bianca shot the ground next to her again.

"Don't fucking lie to me," she said, raising her voice a little.

"I'm not! I wouldn't lie to you, Bianca!" Ember tossed away her weapon in a display of trust. Bianca looked at her confused. She was trying too hard to get Bianca to trust her, and it made the Snow Angel suspicious. On one hand, if she was telling the truth, they were pretty much back at square one, stuck trying to figure out who was attacking them. On the other hand, they now had a new source of information to draw from. While she was busy contemplating Amaura began to stir.

"Amaura," Bianca called out. The woman in question held up her hand weakly.

"I'm fine it's… it's just a flesh wound," she said, attempting to chuckle. Bianca looked at her then back to Ember. She still didn't trust her and now was not the time to be taking unnecessary risks. With a forceful wave of her hand, she encased Ember's hands and feet in thick blue ice in an attempt to ensure that she stayed put. As she made her way over to her mentor she kept her eyes and gun trained on Ember. The jackal faunus let her ears droop a little, locking eyes with Bianca.

"I can help if you'll—," Ember began.

"No," Bianca said firmly. She knelt down and helped Amaura get to her feet with her free hand.

"Hey, B i-if you wouldn't mind pulling out that'd be great," Amaura said. She tried to chuckle again but this time she coughed up some blood, making Bianca worry even more.

"Amaura, you'll be fine just hang in there," she said. They began to walk away when Amaura stopped her. "What?"

"Just pull the fucking knife out and throw me by that cultist over there," she strained to say, gesturing to the cultist girl whose arms and legs were encased in ice. Bianca stopped for a moment and looked at her confused. In a situation like this pulling a blade out was one of the worst things you could do. However, she trusted her mentor, no matter how weird her solutions were.

"Alright." Bianca reluctantly grabbed the knife and counted down and yanked it out, getting a muffled scream from Amaura. Blood started to gush from her wound and soaked her clothes.

"Ow," Amaura said flatly. Bianca hurried as quickly as she could to follow the second part of her instructions, bringing her over to the female cultist. Amaura nearly collapsed as she knelt down and grabbed the girl by the throat then whispered. "I'm so sorry about this." Amaura's hand began to glow a faint black as the girl's aura began to drain from her body. The cultist gasped for air, struggling to free herself. Then she slowly went limp, a white glaze consuming her eyes. Amaura then stood up, reached back and touched where her wound used to be, feeling nothing be her rough skin. Bianca stared at her for a moment. Uncomfortable. She knew Amaura's abilities but to see them first hand was a different experience, like being in the presence of something otherworldly.

Amaura looked over to Ember, whose hands and feet were still iced, expecting her to be angry about what she'd done. She wasn't. Ember had a glum look on her face, the jackal ears on top of her head drooping. It didn't feel like the look of a hardened killer.

"So, you're the ones who've been attacking The Family," Amaura said, getting back on track.

"No we're not," Ember sighed, "I told Bianca this already."

"She's uh… She's here looking for Cole," Bianca said with a hint of reluctance. Amaura looked back at her then to Ember. She knew she should feel bad for her. The look on her face made it hard not too. But she was one of them. A child of Azula, and one of the most prominent members of the Cult of Fundament, someone Amaura had almost no sympathy for.

"Cole's dead," Amaura stated bluntly. Ember's reaction surprised her. A couple of tears ran down her cheeks, with more welling up in her eyes. She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath, muttering something to herself.

"By whose hand," Ember asked as she looked up. This time Amaura was a bit hesitant to respond. The reaction she'd gotten from the news of Cole's demise had caught her off guard.

"By The Reaper's," she said. Both her and Bianca watched to see what this new would do to the cultist. Ember's expression turned angry for a split second before going back to its previous downcast state. She knew it would be a waste of her energy to be angry at The Reaper when there would be no way of enacting her revenge, at least not with Amaura around.

"Well, then I suppose my time here has been for not," Ember said sullenly, then muttered to herself "mother won't be happy." Amaura crossed her arms, glancing at the two girls, now even more worried about Bianca. The way she was looking at Ember made her think she was almost sympathetic towards her. She knew the history she had with Ember. She knew that is was going to be trouble if the two were allowed to reconnect.

"Bianca, I want you to go now," Amaura said.

"What?! Now that we finally have something to go on you want me to—"

Amaura whipped around and shot Bianca a glare that she could feel, even through the mask, making her shudder internally. "Go… _now_." Bianca immediately holstered her gun and picked up her coat, walking out of the warehouse in a huff. Once she was gone, Amaura turned back to Ember, who was still trapped in Bianca's blue ice. "Now… you and I have a lot to talk about."


	9. UpdateSubsectionApology

[Record]Overlay/Update: Hello everybody I know it's been a _while_ since I updated this "story" and I apologize. Recently I got a job and have been working 6 days a week which has left me a bit tired and unmotivated and as a result, I haven't made any real progress.

[Record]Change/NewDirection: I promise to get back to work on my "story" and it will (soon) have a new chapter.

[Record]Redirect/Array_Update: I will try and have Ch. 9 out in two weeks time from the day of this update. (|6-13-18|)


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